Nollywood star Ini Edo has lost a legal battle over the ownership rights to the popular Netflix series Shanty Town to filmmaker Chinenye Nworah. Ini Edo, along with her company Minini Empire Productions Limited (MEP), filed a petition in January 2024, challenging Nworah and her production company, Giant Creative Media Limited (GCM), for the trademarks and copyrights linked to the hit series.
The Nigerian Trademark Registry (NTR) and the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) both ruled in favor of Nworah. The NTR rejected Ini Edo’s claims, affirming Nworah’s exclusive ownership of the Shanty Town and Scar trademarks. Separately, the NCC upheld the validity of copyright certificates awarded to Nworah for the literary and audiovisual works of Shanty Town, dismissing Ini Edo’s petition as baseless.
Olisa Agbakoba, Nworah’s lawyer and former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, described the ruling as a crucial victory for the protection of creative rights, emphasizing the importance of fair compensation for artists.
Shanty Town, a six-part crime thriller, debuted on Netflix in January 2023 and quickly gained popularity. Directed by Dimeji Ajibola, the series features an ensemble cast including Ini Edo, Chidi Mokeme, Richard Mofe-Damijo, and Nse Ikpe Etim, and tells the story of young women caught in a web of crime and exploitation.
This ruling cements Nworah’s position as the rightful owner of one of Nigeria’s most successful television productions, underscoring the importance of intellectual property rights in the entertainment industry.
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