Ini Edo Loses Legal Battle Over Netflix Series, 'Shanty Town' Ownership to Filmmaker Chinenye Nworah

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Nollywood actress Ini Edo has lost a significant legal battle over the ownership rights of the hit Netflix series Shanty Town to filmmaker Chinenye Nworah.

The dispute arose after Edo and her production company, Minini Empire Productions Limited (MEP), filed a double intellectual property petition in January 2024 against Nworah and her production company, Giant Creative Media Limited (GCM), seeking to claim ownership of the trademarks and copyrights associated with the popular series.

Edo's petition aimed to assert her rights over the Shanty Town trademarks and copyrights, challenging the ownership held by Nworah and GCM. However, in a decisive ruling, both the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) and the Nigerian Trademark Registry rejected Edo's claims, describing the petition as "frivolous and without substance."

In a separate ruling, the NCC also denied Edo and MEP's request to cancel two copyright certificates that had been issued to Nworah. These certificates include one for the literary work Shanty Town (Certificate Number LW10177) and another for the audiovisual work Shanty Town (Certificate Number CF1448).

Reacting to the legal victory, Nworah’s lawyer, Olisa Agbakoba, emphasized the importance of protecting creative works and ensuring fair compensation for artists, stating, "The successful defense of these claims highlights the importance of protecting creative works and ensuring fair compensation for artists."

Source: DP

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