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Court places injunction on People's Choice Awards

By Peacefmonline
General News Court places injunction on People's Choice Awards
FEB 26, 2015 LISTEN

An Accra fast track high court has today Thursday February 26, 2015, placed an injunction on the well-publicized and much anticipated maiden edition of the People's Choice Awards Ghana. 

The award ceremony was for the public to choose and honour high profile personalities who have endeared themselves in their careers but the award ceremony is now in a limbo at least until the court issues have been settled.

Two event companies Spyder Lee Entertainment and Evolution International have been battling over the ownership of the name “People's Choice Awards” and the battle has now ended up in court. 

Evolution International first registered the awards scheme as a trademark in 2011 and Spyder Lee Entertainment also registered the same name as a business in 2012 both at the Registrar Generals Department.

Speaking to Peacefmonline.com immediately after court processes this morning, Lawyer Alex Kojo Abban, lawyer for Evolution International, confirmed that an Accra fast track high court presided over by Justice Anthony Yeboah has placed a court injunction restraining both parties from using the name 'People's Choice Awards' until the case is settled between them.

Lawyer Abban added that, he and his client-Evolution International didn't expect the case to go this far but said all to attempts to settle the case amicably with organizers of the upcoming event; Spyder Lee Entertainment failed.

He added the organisers blatantly ignored and disregarded their efforts to resolve the matter and went ahead with plans to organize the event. 

As it stands now, Evolution International has filed a statement of claim and Spyder Lee has also filed their statement of defense. 

According to Lawyer Abban, Evolution International wrote a letter dated January 6, 2015 to Spyder Lee Entertainment and copied the Registrar General Department and also copied GN Bank who is the title sponsor of the event, alerting them of the ownership of the name.

He indicated there was no reply or acknowledgement of receipt whatsoever, so they decided to seek redress in court. 

By the court injunction, Spyder Lee Entertainment is expected stop all radio and television commercials, billboards, flyers and other means of communication geared towards publicizing the event until the court case is over. 

“In fact they were supposed to put everything on hold but they didn't do it and we also didn't want to cite them for contempt but now that it's a court order, if they don't comply they would be cited for contempt. For as long as the event has the name 'People's Choice Awards', they can't go on”. 

The People's Choice Awards Ghana 2015 was officially launched at a special stakeholder and media event at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel in Accra, on Thursday, November 27 and the main awards night is scheduled to take place on Saturday 21st March 2015 at the Accra International Conference Centre. 

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