| 2Face & Anita |
2faceA certain photographer identified as Mr. Emmanuel Okolo
has sued Nigerian music legend, 2face and his wife, Annie Idibia, demanding for
the sum 120 million naira over abuse of his intellectual property.
Okolo who filed the suit alongside his company, Papilonmexy
Films Studios Limited, before Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal high court
in Lagos, alleged that 2face and Annie copyrighted photographs he took at the
couple’s wedding as ‘2faceonline.com’, thus denying him credit.
Channels Television reports the photographer claimed that he
was denied referral opportunities as the duo personalized about 148 out of the
355 high resolution photographs and uploaded them on ‘2face’s official
website.’
According to the report, Okolo also claimed that Annie had
contacted him to request for the pictures he had taken at their traditional
wedding in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State in 2013, but had complained about the watermark
of Papilomenxy studios reflecting on them.
According to the photographer who described himself as a
certified film maker from the prestigious London Film Academy and a holder of a
Masters of Arts degree from Cardiff School of Creative and Cultural Industries,
South Wales, United Kingdom, Annie later sent her husband to negotiate with the
photographer on the terms that the photographs could be released without
watermarks.
Okolo claimed to have suffered general and exemplary damages
for which he is seeking 120 million Naira compensation from the defendants.