Nigerian actress Ini Edo has lost a legal battle to filmmaker Chinenye Nworah over the ownership rights of the popular Netflix series “Shanty Town”.
The thespian and her production company, Minini Empire Productions Limited (MEP), had filed a petition in January 2024 seeking to claim ownership of the trademarks and copyrights linked to the series.
However, the Nigerian Trademark Registry and the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) ruled in favor of Chinenye Nworah and her production company, Giant Creative Media Limited (GCM).
On January 10, 2024, the Trademark Registry denied Ini Edo’s petition for the trademarks “Scar” and “Shanty Town”, stating that it was “frivolous and without substance”.
This decision confirmed Chinenye Nworah’s exclusive ownership of these trademarks.
Furthermore, the NCC upheld the validity of two copyright certificates issued to Chinenye Nworah for the literary work “Shanty Town” (Certificate Number LW10177) and the audiovisual work “Shanty Town” (Certificate Number CF1448) on July 24, 2024.
The NCC found no legal grounds to invalidate the certificates, affirming Chinenye Nworah’s legitimate ownership of these copyrights.
This solidifies her ownership of the intellectual property rights to “Shanty Town”.
As of the time of this report, Ini Edo and Chinenye Nworah has not said anything about this new development.
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