In a significant ruling, the Nigerian Trademark Registry (NTR) and the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) have dismissed actress Ini Edo’s petition over the ownership rights of the popular Netflix series Shanty Town, deciding in favor of filmmaker Chichi Nworah.
The dispute arose after Shanty Town premiered in January 2023, a six-part crime thriller that became a hit with its star-studded cast, including Chidi Mokeme, Richard Mofe-Damijo, and Ini Edo, among others. Despite the show’s success, a legal battle ensued between Edo and Nworah over the series’ intellectual property rights.
Ini Edo, who served as an executive producer on the series, claimed ownership of Shanty Town, challenging Nworah and her production company, Giant Creative Media Limited (GCM), over trademarks and copyrights. However, both the NTR and NCC ruled in favor of Nworah, affirming her exclusive ownership of the series’ trademarks and copyrights.
The NTR rejected Edo’s petition concerning the trademarks “Scar” and “Shanty Town,” declaring it baseless and without merit. Meanwhile, the NCC upheld Nworah’s copyright certificates for both the literary and audiovisual works of Shanty Town, dismissing Edo’s petition to revoke them.
The legal team representing Nworah, Olisa Agbakoba Legal (OAL), emphasized that this ruling highlights the importance of protecting creative works and ensuring fair compensation for artists. The case underscores the necessity of safeguarding intellectual property rights in the creative industry.
Edo initiated the legal battle following Nworah’s announcement of a sequel to Shanty Town, which prompted Edo to challenge the exclusive rights to the series. As of now, Ini Edo has not publicly commented on the ruling.
