Fewchore Studios, Ogbomoso Palace dismiss Lere Paimo’s ‘Ogbori Elemoso’ copyright infringement claim

Ogbori Elemoso is one of notable Yoruba historical films that dramatise the events leading to the establishment of the Ogbomoso land, which was written and produced by Mr Paimo in 1987.

Fewchore Studios, a film media production company, has rejected allegations by veteran actor and filmmaker Lere Paimo that it plans to remake his classic film Ogbori Elemoso unlawfully.

They insist that their ongoing project is an original historical work that does not infringe on Mr Paimo’s copyright.

Ogbori Elemoso is one of the few notable Yoruba historical films that dramatise the events leading to the establishment of the Ogbomoso land.

The film was written and produced by veteran Mr Paimo in 1987 and distributed by Eda Films Ltd. It features a cast of prominent Nollywood and theatre veterans, including Jide Kosoko, Lere Paimo, Kareem Adepoju, Idowu Philips (Iya Rainbow), Isola Ogunsola, Dento, Deji Olofa Ina and Ogun Majek.

The studio’s response comes days after Mr Paimo, speaking at a press conference in Ibadan, Oyo State, accused a group of producers of attempting to reshoot Ogbori Elemoso without his consent.

The veteran actor also alleged they were acting with the backing of the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Ghandi Olaoye.

As reported earlier by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Paimo said the move violated his intellectual property rights and appealed to political, religious and traditional authorities to intervene and protect his legacy.

Response

In a press statement released on Wednesday, Aniekan Equere, representing Fewchore Studios, said Mr Paimo’s allegations were misleading and omitted “verified facts” surrounding its engagement with the veteran actor and the palace.

The company argued that the name and narrative of Ogbori Elemoso are not the exclusive intellectual property of any individual, describing the story as part of the documented history of Ogbomosoland and therefore within the public domain.

“Ogbori Elemoso refers to Soun Ogunlola, the founder and first king of Ogbomoso,” the statement said. “Under Nigerian and international copyright law, historical facts, titles and folklore are in the public domain and may be creatively interpreted, provided no one copies another person’s specific literary or cinematographic expression.”

Fewchore Studios stressed that it has not remade, reproduced or adapted Mr Paimo’s 1987 film, script or any of his proprietary materials, adding that its project was developed through independent historical research.

“The copyright held by Chief Olalere Osunpaimo remains limited to his own prior work, none of which has been used or adapted,” the company said.

The studio also confirmed that its project has the “express written authorisation” of the Soun of Ogbomosoland, whom it described as the custodian of the town’s history. According to the statement, the film is intended to promote Ogbomoso’s cultural heritage, encourage indigene participation, stimulate cultural tourism and support long-term socio-economic development.

Two separate engagements

Disputing Mr Paimo’s account of events, Fewchore Studios said two separate engagements took place.

It claimed that during an initial meeting at the palace, allegedly documented on audio and video, Mr Paimo expressed satisfaction with the project and indicated willingness to participate, leading to provisional production dates.

The company stated that a subsequent meeting at Mr Paimo’s residence led to his request for N30 million. In response, Fewchore Studios said it offered N15 million strictly as a goodwill gesture in recognition of his past contributions to Yoruba cinema, not as payment for copyright or historical rights.

An initial N7.5 million was paid, the studio said, as part of the goodwill offer, with signed minutes indicating that it was a gift and not compensation for intellectual property. Mr Paimo later refunded the money after his lawyers wrote to the company alleging copyright infringement and demanding that the project be discontinued.

Fewchore Studios maintained that no copyright or trademark over the name Ogbori Elemoso is registered in Mr Paimo’s favour at the Nigerian Copyright Commission or any trademark registry.

“Appeals to political or religious figures cannot create rights where none exist in law,” the statement added.

While acknowledging Mr Paimo’s age and contributions to Nigerian cinema, the company insisted that no individual could claim exclusive ownership over the history of a town or its founding monarch.

The palace’s position

The palace of the Soun of Ogbomosoland also issued a clarification, signed by the monarch’s media aide, Peter Olaleye, a reverend, distancing the palace from what it described as “misleading allegations” credited to Mr Paimo.

The palace stated that it would ordinarily avoid public exchanges but was compelled to clarify the matter to prevent misinformation.

According to the palace, the Soun had earlier engaged Mr Paimo and informed him of plans to support a creative retelling of Ogbomoso’s history in line with modern global storytelling standards, including platforms such as Netflix.

Mr Paimo was invited to participate in the project as an actor and contributor, not as a rights holder to the town’s history.

“The financial offer made to him was strictly for his participation as an actor and contributor, not for the purchase of any copyright,” the palace said.

It added that extensive findings conducted by the project team established that the Ogbori Elemoso story is not subject to private copyright, stressing that historical narratives about the founding of Ogbomosoland remain in the public domain.

The palace further clarified that the film currently in production bears a different title, a distinct and expanded storyline, and a separate plot structure, despite drawing inspiration from Ogbomoso’s history.

While acknowledging that Mr Paimo had shared his version of the Ogbori Elemoso story during earlier engagements, the palace said the forthcoming film, scheduled for release next year, is not an exclusive retelling of any individual’s account but an original creative production.

Payments

Addressing reports about payments, the palace stated that Mr Paimo was offered N7.5 million, an amount it described as significantly higher than what was provided to other participants.

However, it noted that the gesture was misunderstood as payment for copyright ownership.

“No individual can claim exclusive ownership or copyright over the history of a town,” the statement said.

The palace emphasised that history is dynamic, not static. It stated that the intention was never to appropriate or distort Ogbomoso’s past, but to allow multiple perspectives to coexist within a broader, creative narrative.

It added that the matter does not constitute a legal case and would ordinarily not have entered public discourse, but clarification became necessary to curb the spread of misinformation.