RMD Threatens Jumia With Lawsuit

When you look as good as RMD does, it wouldn’t come as a surprise when brands scamper to use your image for their brands.

That’s exactly what happened in the case of veretarn actor Richard Mofe-Damijo aka RMD. The respected actor threatened to sue popular online shopping platform Jumia over the unauthorized use of his photos on their Instagram page.

Part of RMD’s grievances with the brand is its continuous use of his photos to sell their products with his express permission. He has however had enough and through his publicist threatened to file a lawsuit.

“RMD’s image by the online fashion and beauty retailer has been ongoing for a while and has had the effect of portraying to unsuspecting customers that Jumia enjoys the patronage /endorsement of RMD. RMD is a well known brand ambassador for various companies and his image has been widely and regularly used for product placement in a variety of platforms. He has always jealously guarded his image and has been meticulous about the type of products and services associated therewith. Jumia’s unilateral and unauthorized use of RMD’s image for the advancement of its products and website has undoubtedly enhanced Jumia’s brand awareness and created a buzz about Jumia’s fashion line at the expense of RMD.

RMD has since instructed his lawyer, Mena Ajakpovi of Messrs. Abraham & Co. to engage Jumia and seek redress at the law court if they are defiant. Jumia’s response has definitely been defiant and unapologetic. They admitted that they had taken the images from the actor’s page but that it was not an infringement of his copyright since the image was on a public Instagram platform. This is even though they are using the image to promote their online fashion trade on their website page! They offered to take the page down but have shown neither remorse nor offered any conciliatory compensation!

The ‘Terms of Use’ of Instagram as stated on their website clearly prohibits Jumia from taking RMD’s pictures and using same to conduct its fashion business. Their defiance has left the ace actor with no alternative but to instruct his lawyers to sue JUMIA for punitive and exemplary damages for the infringement of his image rights.”

Jumia has now taken down RMD’s image from its fashion page.