Aaron Asiba Matendechere, the overnight celebrity behind "Nitakufinya (I will squeeze you)" catchphrase, has laid a copyright claim over the misuse of his images by corporates.
Matendechere features in a hilarious old news clip circulating online, taken ten years ago, as he threatens his neighbour Charles Musyoka for commenting on unauthorised electricity connections in their neighbourhood, Nairobi's Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum.
Musyoka was being interviewed by a local TV station when Matendechere, who was passing by, comically frowned at him, telling him not to expose unauthorised electricity connections and instead ask the government to help him get employment, or else he, Matendechere, would 'squeeze' him.
The clip became an internet sensation, making Matendechere an overnight celebrity. Some corporates pushed the joke further and began using his image for commercial purposes.
Matendechere has filed a lawsuit before the High court through his lawyer Professor Tom Ojienda, seeking compensation from corporate bodies that used the image accompanied by the phrase.
“Void of consent from the applicant to enable the respondent to act in such contemptuous manner amounts to an invasion of his privacy through misappropriation of his identity or likeness or persona,” read part of his court statement.
The lawyer argues that a false impression was created when the three corporate bodies; a local bank, a state corporation that deals with cereals, and an iron sheets manufacturer ran with his tag alongside his image as a marketing strategy.
Most of his close friends and families thought he was now rich, following the move, something that he disowned, stating he had not received compensation.
“The said actions have subjected me to psychological torture because the society, peers, associates, family, business partners and affiliates now perceive me to have gained financially.
“From the advertisements. I am living with apprehension that my creditors are on the verge of recovering their debts,” argues Matendechere in the application.
Adding that the video had made him a celebrity, something he enjoys, the corporate bodies that ran with the phrase during the sensation time had not acquired authority.
“An image or likeness and persona can only be inherent to one person. Unless this honourable court grants the application as herein prayed, the petitioner will continue to suffer the complained violation in a manner that cannot be compensated by way of damages,” adds Matendechere, defending his claim.
Intellectual property on digital content has increasingly become sensitive for those in corporate and non-corporate bodies, which requires careful judgement.
