NIGERIAN BOTTLING COMPANY IN COPYRIGHT MESS
The Nigerian Bottling Company, (NBC) Plc, makers of Coca-cola range of soft drinks in Nigeria is in a copy right mess with an indigenous company over the design of the bottle of its widely circulated product, Eva water.
Information made available to AB has it that NBC stole the copyright design of its new Eva water bottle from Sintak Nigeria limited, makers of Lamie Water that has been in the market for about four years ago. It was gathered that before the advent of the new design of Eva water bottle, Lamie water enjoyed massive patronage, especially in the South West of Nigeria, but lost patronage to Eva Water as the bottle is a complete look-alike of Lamie Water.
Sintak Nigeria Limited, under the leadership of Chief Mrs Salewa Tanwa Akib as the Managing Director is laying claims to the fact that the bottle design originated from them and was registered with Registrar of Patents and Design in Abuja for close to five years now.
An insider in Sintak claimed that Lamie Water had been using the present design before Eva Water came up with its own new design, and that the company had been enjoying patronage from consumers, but that the stealing of its design was brought to the notice of the management of the company by a customer who sells both brands of water.
“It’s like a battle between an ant and an elephant because the NBC is a big company, but we won’t relent in our efforts of making it known to the public that such a giant company stole the idea of our design,” he claimed
The company, we gathered has taken the case to a Federal High Court in Lagos and NBC has failed to appear before the court after several sittings.
NBC changed the shape and design of its Eva water on account of the adulteration of the company’s product about two years ago and an impeccable source divulged that the bottle design has helped other pirates in bottling unclean water for the consumption of Nigerians.
A source in NBC, who claimed anonymity, said that the company is the registered owner of the Eva water design and that the trademarks currently exists with Patent and Design Registry, Federal Ministry of Commerce and that it did not in anyway copy Lamie Water bottle.
“The new Eva water design was launched amidst fun and massive media publicity, do you think we can steal an idea and publisize it? I see it as a mere ranting of an ant,” he revealed.
The court case has since been postponed till September with a claim from Lamie Waters that NBC should pay a damage of #5,000,000 and a copyright infringement cost of #10,000,000 only.