Ini Edo Loses Legal Battle Over Shanty Town Ownership
Nollywood actress Ini Edo has lost her claim to ownership of the popular Netflix series “Shanty Town” to filmmaker Chinenye Nworah.
In January 2024, Ini Edo and her company, Minini Empire Productions Limited (MEP), took legal action against Nworah and GCM, filing two intellectual property petitions. They aimed to claim ownership of the trademarks and copyrights for the series.
However, the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) and the Nigerian Trademark Registry have ruled against Ini Edo. They dismissed the petitions as baseless and without merit.
The NCC also denied Edo and MEP’s request to cancel two copyright certificates previously awarded to Nworah for “Shanty Town” — one for the literary work and one for the audiovisual work.
Nworah’s lawyer, Olisa Agbakoba, commented that the successful defense of these claims underscores the importance of protecting creative works and ensuring fair compensation for artists.
