Ini Edo has lost her right to claim ownership of the film “Shanti Town.”
The Nigerian Trademark Registry (NTR) and the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), which are in charge of trademark and copyright law, have both dismissed actress Ini Edo’s plea for ownership of the hit Netflix series ‘Shanty Town’ and decided in Chichi Nworah’s favor.
Back in January, Ini and Chinenye were at odds over ownership of the Nigerian blockbuster Netflix movie, Shanti Town. It all began when actress Ini Edo and her production firm, Minini Empire Productions Limited (MEP), sought ownership of the trademarks “Shanty Town” and “Scar,” as well as the series’ copyrights.
The legal struggle is done, and the true owner has been awarded full rights to the claim. On January 10, 2024, the Trademark Registry rejected Ini Edo’s petition regarding trademarks ‘SCAR’ NG/TM/O/2023/121745 and ‘SHANTY TOWN’ NG/TM/O/2023/97482, declaring the petition baseless and without merit, granting Ms Nworah’s exclusive ownership of the trademarks.
In separate rulings issued on July 24, 2024, the NCC and NTR dismissed the petition filed by Ini Edo and MEP regarding the cancellation of two copyright certificates issued to Chinenye Nworah for the literary work “Shanty Town” with Certificate Number LW10177 and the audiovisual work “Shanty Town” with Certificate Number CF1448.
The verdict states that “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,” the firm’s legal team stated.
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