Entertainment

Our Entertainment Practice Group (“the Team”) comprises an interdisciplinary team of highly skilled professionals with expertise and broad experience in servicing international and local clients who are key players in the entertainment sector. With strong background in the corporate/commercial, intellectual property and dispute resolution practice areas, the Team skilfully navigates contentious and non-contentious matters in trademarks, patents, copyright, franchising, licensing, distributorship agreements and technology transfer. The Team structures its advice on projects and transactions to suit the dynamic policy and regulatory landscapes.

We regularly advise on matters relating to talent acquisition, corporate contracts, project finance and corporate structuring with respect to organisations in production, publishing, talent promotion and management. Our services are structured in a manner that we are able to provide assistance to a wide variety of artistes; ranging from emerging talents to renowned acts.

Our services cover assisting clients in obtaining rights to musical compositions and sound recordings in commercials, stage productions, television, movies and all other forms of media and entertainment.

Our Team assists clients in the film and television industry in drafting film and distribution agreements, procuring the relevant licences and permits and in protecting their intellectual property. In this capacity, we are presently advising a client filming an international documentary in preparing relevant documents such as music licensing agreements, Film Directors & Producers Agreements as well as agreements for the cast and crew.

We have a strong team of specialists who prepare and negotiate agreements with record labels, television and motion picture studios, music and book publishers, merchandisers, distributors, and a myriad of other related transactions. As part of our recent transactions in this area, we advised an international singer on the licensing of a song which was written and produced by a Nigerian artist.

We assist clients in the protection of their copyrights and trademarks through registration, licensing, and enforcement. We specialise in protecting artists’ rights on the world wide web through domain name protection, takedown procedures, negotiation and litigation.

We also have extensive experience in prosecuting trademark applications with the Nigerian and Ghanaian Trademark Offices, in representing clients in trademark disputes before the Trademarks Tribunals and in working with foreign trademark counsel to secure and protect trademark registrations overseas.