The Trademark Tribunal in Abuja has adjourned the trademark infringement case between Nigrshine Industries Limited and Aokete Lighting Electronics Industries Limited until March 4, 2025, following ongoing settlement discussions.
Presiding over the hearing on Wednesday, Tribunal Chairman Shafiu Yauri warned that if the parties failed to reach an agreement by the next court date, the tribunal would proceed with its verdict.
The dispute centers around allegations by Ugochukwu Emmanuel of Nigrshine Industries Limited, the registered owner of D&B AKT Brands of Electric Lighting Bulbs in Nigeria, who claims that Chinese national Chen Xiao Ming and his Nigerian associates forged a fake certificate of registration to infringe on his trademark.
Both parties had initially agreed to settle the case out of court. However, at Wednesday’s hearing, the respondent’s counsel, Suleiman Usman (SAN), stated that while his clients were willing to pay N100 million to resolve the matter, the claimant had not withdrawn the complaint as part of the settlement terms.
“At the last adjourned date, the issue of settlement was raised, and we indicated our interest. The claimant mentioned a figure, and we sought an adjournment to discuss it with our client. What we got from our client is that if the claimant withdraws the complaint, we will pay N100 million,” Usman explained.
However, the claimant’s counsel, Femi Falana (SAN), rejected the offer, describing it as inadequate and accusing the respondents of insincerity.
“Offering to pay N100 million out of N10 billion shows they are not ready for settlement,” Falana stated. “This has been their approach since 2019. The respondents obtained an order in China preventing the claimant from operating there, and now he cannot operate in Nigeria either. To add insult to injury, they are asking us to withdraw the case before any settlement is made. We are not ready to do that. The tribunal should proceed with our complaint.”
Despite the heated exchanges, both parties eventually pleaded for another opportunity to resolve the matter amicably.
In his ruling, Chairman Yauri emphasized that the tribunal would not allow further delays.
“If a settlement is not forthcoming by March 4, we will do our job and give our verdict on the matter,” he warned.
The case, which has been ongoing since 2019, will now hinge on whether both parties can reach an agreement before the next hearing.
