24th November, 2022
Times Multimedia Limited (TMM) has called out Afreximbank, for allegedly involving in aiding and encouraging intellectual theft and promoting flagrant violations of copyright by adding “NEXUS” to the phrase “CREATIVE AFRICA”.
According to a press statement issued by TMM, the preceding events that formed the partnership of Afreximbank and TMM was IATF 2018.
The statement revealed that the very key objective of TMM’s engagement was the delivery of the Creative industry aspect of the IATF.
TMM had carried out the assignment under a mutually beneficial relationship with Afreximbank in which TMM was to retain the intellectual property which was trademarked, hence, TMM retains the copyright of the original work of the CAX.
Read full statement below:
Times Multimedia Limited (TMM) is appalled that Afreximbank, who merely provided funds by way of sponsorship to facilitate conceptualisation, ideation, design and execution of CREATIVE AFRICA EXCHANGE (CAX), a holistic program that consolidates the African creative and cultural industry, thereby aligning identified resources in the sector to create a proper economic ecosystem, is involved in aiding and encouraging intellectual theft and promoting flagrant violations of copyright by adding “NEXUS” to the phrase “CREATIVE AFRICA”.
It is important to state the preceding events that formed the partnership of Afreximbank and TMM. The CAX journey with TMM started in 2018. The very key objective of TMM’s engagement was the delivery of the Creative industry aspect of the IATF 2018.
In the buildup to the IATF 2018, series of meetings took place at the instance of Afreximbank where it was agreed that TMM should carry out work in reshaping the sponsorship/strategic communications and fulfillment of the IATF 2018. It was based on this understanding that TMM had carried out this assignment under a mutually beneficial relationship with Afreximbank in which TMM was to retain the intellectual property which was trademarked, hence, TMM retains the copyright of the original work of the CAX.
We have done a thorough assessment of one “CREATIVE AFRICA NEXUS” which is scheduled to hold between 25th and 27th of November, 2022, and was discovered that the concept is largely the same as “CREATIVE AFRICA EXCHANGE (CAX)” in mode of activities, mode of operation, the objectives and the intellectual property are all the same both in form and in substance.
It is clear that authorisation was never sought nor obtained before Afreximbank proceeded to launch “CREATIVE AFRICA NEXUS” which has the same concept with “CREATIVE AFRICA EXCHANGE (CAX) and such act should be stopped immediately.
Our lawyers have been instructed to take action on these. PLEASE NOTE that attendees and speakers (Chimanda Ngozi Adichie, Chinwe Ohanele, Ntando Ngwenya, Lafalaise Dion, Armando Cabral, Zippy Kimundu, Jean Sabastien N’Guessan) at the CREATIVE AFRICA NEXUS can be liable to aiding and abetting IP theft.