In a significant legal victory, Chinenye Nworah and her production company, GCM Giant Creative Media Limited, have been declared the rightful owners of the trademarks Shanty Town and Scar by the Nigerian Trademark Tribunal. This ruling came after a legal battle with Nollywood actress Ini Edo and Minini Empire Productions Limited (MEP) over the ownership rights related to the popular Netflix series Shanty Town.
The dispute began when Ini Edo and MEP filed a petition on January 10, 2024, contesting the trademark rights of the series, which had become a major success following its release. However, the tribunal’s ruling, dated July 18, 2024, dismissed Edo’s petition, affirming Nworah’s ownership of the trademarks.
Following the tribunal’s decision, the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) also upheld the validity of the copyright certificates issued to Nworah on July 24, 2024. The NCC’s ruling further confirmed Nworah’s legal rights, dismissing Edo’s separate petition that challenged the copyright claims.
Nworah’s legal team emphasized that this outcome underscores the importance of protecting creative works and ensuring that artists receive fair compensation for their contributions. The legal dispute had cast uncertainty over the much-anticipated second season of Shanty Town, but with the tribunal’s ruling, Nworah and her company now have the legal authority to continue their work on the series.
Shanty Town, directed by Dimeji Ajibola, is a six-part crime thriller that follows a group of young women forced into sex work by powerful men. The series, released on January 20, 2023, gained widespread popularity and featured a star-studded cast, including Chidi Mokeme, Ini Edo, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Nse Ikpe Etim, Sola Sobowale, Nancy Isime, Shaffy Bello, and Mercy Eke.