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Popular Nollyood actress, Ini Edo, has lost to film maker Chineye ‘Chi Chi’ Nworah over the ownership of the Netflix original series, ‘Shanty Town.’
In a significant legal victory for the filmmaker and her production company GCM Giant Creative Media Limited, the Nigerian Trade Mark Registry and the Nigerian Copyright Commission ruled against Ini Edo.
This follows a series of legal battles initiated by Ini Edo and Minnie Empire Productions Limited (MEP), who attempted to claim ownership of the trademarks and copyrights associated with ‘Shanty Town.’
In January 10, 2024, the Trademark Registry rejected Ini and Minnie Empire Productions’ (MEP) petition regarding trademarks ’Scar’ NG/TM/0/2023/121745/ and ‘Shanty Town’ NG/TM/O/2023/97482 on January 10, 2024, declaring the petition baseless and without merit, and confirming Nworah’s exclusive ownership of these trademarks.
While, NCC, in a separate ruling delivered on July 24, 2024, 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.
The film maker who was represented by the legal team at Olisa Agbakoba Legal secured the two rulings affirming her ownership of the intellectual property.
‘Shanty Town’, a six-part crime thriller, released on 20 January 2023, garnered immense popularity, boasting a star-studded cast that included Chidi Mokeme, Ini Edo, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Nse Ikpe-Etim, Sola Sobowale, Nancy Isime, Shaffy Bello, and Ali Nuhu, among others.