A comedian, Femi Edwards of Comedy+ fame, has dragged telecommunications giant, MTN, to court for alleged copyright violation of his entertainment brand.
In a suit flied by his lawyer, Chuks Nwachuku of Indemnity Partners, the comedian accused MTN Nigeria Limited of stealing his Comedy+ entertainment brand.
Edwards launched his Comedy+ brand in 2009 with a print magazine, Comedy+.
He thereafter progressed to producing comedy shows in different parts of the country.
He also organized Miss Agboyi Ketu Beauty Pageant in 2013 and 2015 in collaboration with Agboyi Ketu Local Council Development Area.
Edwards also took Comedy+ online via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
He equally established a website, which featured among others Comedy skits that visitors to the site could download.
Edwards in the suit, Number: FHC/L/CS/18/2018, claimed that he made Comedy+ a brand among comedians and lovers of comedy in Nigeria and in that way contributed his bit to building the art of comedy into an industry in the country.
He said in 2015 and 2016, MTN sponsored or as claimed by the telco, “supported” a comedy show: “LaffXpress with Mc Ayanfe”, Seasons 1 and 2, which was produced by him under the ‘Comedy+’ brand.
Edwards, however, said curiously, the same MTN launched an internet comedy platform, Comedy+, in March 2017.
Edwards lawyers promptly wrote them, warning of the infringement of his intellectual property, but MTN remained adamant hoping to bluff its way through.
In the suit, Edwards claimed that MTN has made money in the excess of N112.5 billion from the unlawful use of the Comedy+ brand.
He is therefore asking the court to order MTN to account to him for that money.
In the suit, Edwards accused MTN of passing off their services as his own services through the adoption of the brand name: Comedy+, with which he and his services have been associated with since 2009.
The telecommunication giant filed a defence to the suit where it alleged that its services are different from those of Edwards.
It however admitted to making comedy skits and materials available to millions of its subscribers through the use of the brand name: Comedy+.
May 9 has been fixed for the hearing of the case at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos.