Nollywood actor and filmmaker, Femi Adebayo, recently announced a significant legal victory against piracy, securing a ₦25 million judgment in a lawsuit spanning three years.
Despite the global acclaim and cultural richness of the film industry, piracy remains a persistent threat, impeding its full potential.
Adebayo took to Instagram on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, to reveal his legal action against a prominent media company distributing content on YouTube, which exploited his film, Survival of Jelili.
The media company superimposed images from Adebayo’s 2019 film onto another YouTube video, deceiving viewers into believing they were watching the authentic movie. Consequently, the video garnered increased views due to this fraudulent activity.
With the diligent efforts of his legal team, Bola Adebowale & Co Legal Practitioners, Adebayo presented compelling evidence and arguments, ultimately prevailing in court.
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Expressing his satisfaction, Adebayo stated, “We won and were awarded a total of twenty-five million naira.”
He emphasized that such “daredevil pirates” significantly hinder the Nigerian film industry’s growth, making investors wary of committing funds to filmmakers.
Adebayo’s victory echoes the sentiments of fellow filmmaker Toyin Abraham, who earlier shared her ordeal with piracy-induced panic attacks, which led to hospitalization.
In January 2024, five suspects faced charges for illegally leaking Abraham’s December 2023 film, Malaika, online, highlighting the pervasive issue of intellectual property theft and obstruction of justice in the industry.
