Omoni Oboli’ Court Case Update:Jude Idada Accused Of Stealing Okafor’ Law Script, Hearing Postponed

March 29, 2017 – Update On Omoni Oboli’s Copyright Infringement Case: Jude Idada Accused Of Stealing Okafor’s Law Script, Hearing Postponed

Nollywood scriptwriter Jude Idada has been accused of stealing Okafor’s Law script from Omoni Oboli.

When the copyright infringement lawsuit instituted by Idada resumed for hearing today, former NBA  president Mr. Augustine Alegeh (SAN) announced appearance for the first and second defendants.

Mr. Yomi Awotunde announced appearance for the third defendant, while Mrs. O Otudor appeared for the plaintiff.

Otudor said she had received the counter affidavit for the first and second defendants, but had yet to receive any processes from the third defendant.

She told the court that counsel to the first and second defendants had just served their counter-affidavit on her in the courtroom, adding that she required time to study and respond to same.

She, therefore, urged the court to grant adequate time to allow the plaintiff file a reply.

Alegeh asked the court to order a speedy hearing of the motion on the grounds that the exparte orders had stalled the premiering of the film on March 24.

He noted that the movie had been premiered in Toronto and Stockholm last year, adding that its launch had been billed for March 31 (Friday), and so, a speedy hearing of the motion on notice would be eminent.

Justice Buba abridged time for hearing of the motion on notice, to March 30, adding that he was concerned with achieving the justice of the case.

Buba consequently, directed plaintiff’s counsel to ensure that advance copies of its processes are served on the defense by email, so as to ensure that the motion is heard without hindrances.

He, therefore, fixed March 30 for hearing of the motion by 10am.

Idada claims the film is his intellectual property. He accused Oboli of copyright infringement.

He added that she had stolen his story idea for the movie in September 2016, adding that Oboli took the work he had done regarding “Okafor’s Law”, and developed it without giving him due credit.

He avers that the producer went ahead to set March 31, as a release date for the movie, in spite of a demand letter sent to her, as well as a copyright infringement suit instituted.

Meanwhile, in a counter affidavit, deposed to on behalf of Dioni Visions Ltd by one Tomi Adeoye, she avers that sometime in 2014, the second defendant (Omoni Oboli) came up with the story idea of “Okafor’s Law”.

She explained that “Okafor’s Law” is a principle in which ex-lovers could always rekindle their love or relationship, even after they were married to other partners.

She said that in accordance with Nigerian Law, both Oboli and her company (Dioni Visions) proceeded to register the film with the National Film and Video Censor Board.

She said that having secured their legal right to the said film, they contracted Jude Idada to write the screen play for a fee of N750, 000 although no written contract was executed.

According to the deponent, Oboli later had a meeting with Idada, where she revealed to him the story idea and concept of “Okafor’s Law”, to enable him have a good grasp of the subject for a proper development of the screen play.

She averred that when Idada was contacted thereafter, he claimed that the work he had done on the film was lost when his computer was stolen in Uganda, and promised to re-write the screenplay.

The deponent averred that when several attempts to reach Idada for the script failed, they decided to write the screen play and thereafter produce the movie “Okafor’s Law”.

The defendant, therefore, avers that Idada is not the owner of the story and idea of “Okafor’s Law”, and does not possess any copyright in respect of it.

[The Nation]