Churchill Comedian Butita in Ksh10M Suit Against Global Firm

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Ex-NTV the Trend show panellist and comedian Eddie Butita
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Churchill show comedian Edwin 'Eddie' Butita has sued a global e-commerce platform that used his name to market their products. 

His lawyers detailed that they had filed a suit at a commercial court in Nairobi, a month after serving the firm with a demand letter

Butita wants Ksh 10 million compensation arguing that the brand used his naming and image rights to sell their products without consulting him. 

"We are going to court. Currently, we are processing court documents which we will be serving the firm in the next 10 to 14 days. 

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Comedians Eddie Butita and Mamito Eunice in an Instagram photo posted in November 2020
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"We are seeking compensation for commercialisation of our client’s online brand to market their Black Friday sales without paying for it. We are basically seeking damages for our client that could go up to Ksh10 million,” his lawyers stated while speaking to a local daily. 

The comedian's legal team added that they were infuriated by the response of the firm to their demand letter. The global company reportedly argued that the comedian's brand name is not a trademark that warrants compensation. 

They want the firm to be compelled to produce their sales record during the said period upon which they will use it to demand the compensation fee. 

Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke on Thursday, October 27, Butita explained that he sought legal action as he had not authorised the company to use his name or image in their social media campaign. 

"This has never happened to me before and we are yet to settle on a resolution after my legal team got in contact with them,"  he stated.

Digital content expert Brian Muuo explained that the rates paid to influencers depend on the value of the following and engagement from posts published on social media platforms.

He added that pricing for influencers was determined by key metrics including followers, subscribers, views on videos, user engagement, and user feedback.

Churchill Comedian Eddie Butita
Churchill Comedian Eddie Butita
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