Copyright: Court to rule on N1bn suit over TV programme May 4

A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed May 4 for judgment in the suit by a firm, TV Xtra Production, challenging alleged use of its TV programme, ‘University Challenge’ without recourse to it. Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed the date after listening to the written addresses of lawyers to TV Xtra Production and Zain Nigeria […]

A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed May 4 for judgment in the suit by a firm, TV Xtra Production, challenging alleged use of its TV programme, ‘University Challenge’ without recourse to it.

Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed the date after listening to the written addresses of lawyers to TV Xtra Production and Zain Nigeria Ltd (now Airtel).

TV Xtra Production is demanding the sum of N500 million as special damages for what it called the infringement of its copyright. It is also demanding N200 million as general damages for airing the programme titled: ‘Zain African Challenge’ in Nigerian televisions which infringed its rights. It also demands the sum of N3 million as cost of the suit.

TV Xtra Production is also demanding an order of the court compelling the National Universities Commission (NUC), which is the first defendant in the suit, to endorse and approve the programme called ‘University Challenge’.

The firm also wants the court to issue a perpetual injunction restraining Zain Nigeria from “producing, airing, marketing or exercising any right in respect of the programme called ‘Zain African Challenge’”.

The production firm had brought the suit on December 18, 2009 contending that its copyright was infringed upon when its programme was being aired on TVs. It said it was surprised that four weeks after making a proposal to the NUC for the programme for a quiz challenge for Nigerian universities, which it registered with the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), a similar programme was approved in favour of another firm.

The firm’s lawyers led by Festus Ukpe Esq submitted that the programme designed by Christian Ojorovwu Ogodo and assigned to it by a Power of Attorney was liable to protection by the court.

But Zain Nigeria in its defence is contending that TV Xtra is not the original owner of the programme, explaining that the idea was picked from British Universities Challenge.