In a significant legal victory, filmmaker Chineye ‘Chi Chi’ Nworah has successfully defended her ownership of the Netflix original series, Shanty Town, against claims made by Nollywood actress Ini Edo.
The Nigerian Trademark Registry and the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) both ruled in favor of Nworah and her production company, GCM Giant Creative Media Limited, rejecting Ini Edo’s attempts to assert control over the trademarks and copyrights associated with the series.
Ini Edo and her company, Minnie Empire Productions Limited (MEP), had launched a series of legal challenges, seeking to claim ownership of the trademarks and copyrights related to Shanty Town. However, on January 10, 2024, the Trademark Registry dismissed their petition concerning the trademarks ‘Scar’ (NG/TM/O/2023/121745) and ‘Shanty Town’ (NG/TM/O/2023/97482), deeming the claims to be without merit and reaffirming Nworah’s exclusive rights.
In a subsequent ruling on July 24, 2024, the NCC also dismissed a petition by Ini Edo and MEP that sought to cancel two copyright certificates issued to Nworah. These certificates pertained to 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 Nworah’s rightful ownership of the copyrights.
The legal team from Olisa Agbakoba Legal was instrumental in securing these outcomes for Chinenye Nworah and GCM Giant Creative Media Limited.
Shanty Town, a six-part crime thriller that premiered on January 20, 2023, has enjoyed widespread acclaim. The series features a star-studded cast, including Chidi Mokeme, Ini Edo, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Nse Ikpe-Etim, Sola Sobowale, Nancy Isime, Shaffy Bello, and Ali Nuhu.
