A High Court of Justice sitting in Lokoja has asked the Kogi State Government to within 30 days defend allegations of piracy and plagiarism brought before it over the just concluded first Kogi State carnival tagged ‘Confluence V Carnival’.
Justice Sunday Tanko Useni of High Court 3, in Lokoja gave the order in a suit brought before it by Geogina Edime of CeTriple F global services.
In suit no HCL/94/0013, dated 30th day of October, 2013, with notice served the Kogi State Government and the State Attorney Genera, Geogina Edime of CeTriple F global services, accused the Kogi State Ministry of Culture and Tourism of piracy and plagiarism, adding that one of the programme showcased as part of the carnival, ‘The Face of the Confluence’ is their intellectual property.
In an affidavit in support of motion on notice signed by Geogina Edime of CeTriple F global services, said the action of the Kogi State Ministry of Culture and Tourism infringed on their intellectual property.
Geogina Edime of CeTriple F global services is seeking the court to compel the state government to pay for compensation for breach, introducing The Face of the Confluence, a proposed beauty peagent earlier submitted to the Ministry as a proposal in 2012 without its consent.
The claimant noted that without his consent, the state government and its agent adopted the face of confluence, a program billed to be jointly participated for by Benue, Niger and Kogi State.
The claimant who in the suit filed is seeking damages, said the carnival has interfered with his economic activities and said no valuation was done before the Kogi State Government went ahead to stage the program at the just concluded carnival.
