Copyright: IOC Slams N2bn suit on Producer of Olympic Milk

By Sola Omoniyi, Lagos

A Nigerian company, Nutricima, the producer of Olympic Milk has been dragged to court by the Nigeria Olympic Committee NOC, and the International Olympic Committee IOC, over an alleged use of its name ‘OLYMPIC’.

NOC and IOC dragged the producer of Olympic Milk before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos over an alleged passing off and infringing of its name ‘OLYMPIC’.

NOC and IOC urged the court to order Nutricima to pay them N2 billion as damages for the unauthorized use of the name.

NOC and IOC stated that they have suffered as a result of unauthorized, illegal, and wrongful usage of the name OLYMPIC by Nutricima Nigeria Limited.

Mr Abimbola Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, stated in a 22 paragraphs statement filed before the court that International Olympic Committee IOC became associated with the trade name as far back as 1894 by its charter.

They stated that the Registered Trustees of Nigeria Nigeria Olympic Committee is the authorized user of the International Olympic Committee trademark within Nigeria territory.

However, they stated that they recently became aware that the Nutricima Nigeria Limited company, the producer of Olympic Milk has been using the trade mark name “Olympic” to manufacture and sell milk without authorization.