A photographer, Mr. Emmanuel Okolo has sued 2face and his wife, Annie Idibia, for a sum N120 million, before Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court in Lagos. Okolo claimed that the sum is damages for copyright violation involving the use of some pictures he took at 2Face’s wedding without making any attribution statement.
According to Okolo, who sued alongside his company, Papilonmexy Films Studios Limited, the defendants wrote ‘www.2faceonline.com’ on 148 out of the 355 high-resolution photographs he took at their wedding. He claimed that 2Face’s wife, Annie Idibia, contacted him to request for the pictures he had taken at their wedding in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. She soon after complained of the watermark imprint when she received them.
2Face, who is the second defendant then made an attempt to persuade Okolo to release the pictures without the watermark. The photographer eventually agreed, but insisted that the copyright be credited to his company. Okolo has now claimed that the terms of the signed agreement have been breached, prompting him to sue the couple.
2Face and his wife have now come out to refute the claim, stating that the photographer had appeared at their wedding uninvited. They said shortly after the ceremony, they noticed pictures of themselves on the internet with Okolo’s company name, Papilonmexy Films Studios on them.
According to 2Face and his wife, Okolo forced the pictures on them stating that he would like to use their influence to gain brand patronage. They agreed that they will collect the pictures on the condition that he removes the watermark, which he allegedly accepted.