The Nigerian Trademark Registry (NTR) and the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), responsible for trademarks and copyright regulation, respectively, have dismissed actress Ini Edo’s petition over the ownership of the hit Netflix series, ‘Shanty Town’ and ruled in filmmaker Chichi Nworah’s favour.
A statement released by Olisa Agbakoba Legal (OAL) on their LinkedIn page disclosed.
Edo and Ms Nworah, an acclaimed filmmaker, real name Chinenye Nworah, have been locked in a legal battle over the ownership rights of the hit Netflix series “Shanty Town’ released in January 2023.
The dispute stemmed from claims made by actress Ini Edo and her production company, Minini Empire Productions Limited (MEP), who sought ownership of both the trademarks “Shanty Town” and “Scar,” as well as the copyrights associated with the series.
The Trademark Registry rejected a petition filed by Ini Edo and MEP regarding trademarks ‘SCAR’ NG/TM/O/2023/121745 and ‘SHANTY TOWN’ NG/TM/O/2023/97482 on January 10, 2024, declaring the petition baseless and without merit, and confirming Mrs Nworah’s exclusive ownership of these trademarks.
In a separate ruling delivered on July 24, 2024, the NCC dismissed a petition by Ini Edo and MEP concerning the cancellation of two copyright certificates issued 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 for the cancellation and upheld the validity of the certificates, confirming Mrs Nworah’s rightful ownership of these copyrights.
“This case demonstrates OAL’s commitment to protecting the rights of creative individuals and companies in the face of intellectual property disputes,” Olisa Agbakoba Legal team noted.
