By Jennifer Amarachi
Popular Nollywood actress Ini Edo has been defeated by Chinenye Nworah in the competition for ownership of the Netflix original series “Shanty Town.”
The Nigerian Trademark Registry and the Nigerian Copyright Commission decided against Ini Edo, providing a significant legal win for the director and her production business, GCM Giant Creative Media Limited.
This follows a string of court battles between Minnie Empire Productions Limited (MEP) and Ini Edo as they fought for control of the copyrights and trademarks associated with “Shanty Town.
On January 10, 2024, the Trademark Registry refused Ini Edo and MEP’s petition for the trademarks ‘Scar’ NG/TM/O/2023/121745 and ‘Shanty Town’ NG/TM/O/2023/97482, describing the case as frivolous and without substance and confirming Nworah’s exclusive ownership of these marks.
In a separate verdict published on July 24, 2024, the NCC refused a plea by Ini Edo and MEP to cancel two copyright certificates given to Chinenye Nworah for the literary work “Shanty Town” (Certificate Number LW10177) and the audiovisual work “Shanty Town” (Certificate Number CF1448).
The NCC found no legal grounds to revoke the certificates and confirmed their validity, thereby confirming Mrs Nworah’s legitimate ownership of these copyrights.
The legal team at Olisa Agbakoba Legal played a key role in attaining these results for Chinenye Nworah and GCM Giant Creative Media Limited.
This case demonstrates OAL’s commitment to defending the rights of creative individuals and enterprises in the face of intellectual property litigation.
The Trademark Registry’s ruling and the NCC’s decision enhance Mrs Chinenye Nworah’s intellectual property ownership in relation to the Netflix series “Shanty Town”.
The successful defense of these claims underlines the importance of protecting creative works and paying adequate compensation to artists.
