May 27 has been fixed by a federal high court in Abuja for the hearing of a suit filed by Bedding Holdings against INEC.
It is seeking among others an order directing INEC to pay its #50 billion ” as exemplary charges for the continued use of the Transparent Ballot Boxes, Electronic Collapsible Transparent Ballot Boxes and Direct Data Capturing Machines for the registration of voters and or the collation/ compilation and production of voters register without its prior and express consent.
The suit seeks to bar INEC from further use of transparent ballot boxes, permanent voters cards and related devices for elections
Further more the suit is intended to enforce two pending judgement given by federal high court on June 5, 2012 and January 28, 2014 which affirmed Bedding executive patent rights over some inventions that formed the core of INEC electoral operation
It equally seeks an order of perpetual injunction restraining INEC from using its inventions and anything derived thereof without the prior and express consent and to declare any action or actions whatsoever and however or purported to have been taken in connection thereof as illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional, null and void.
Bedding stated that its core speciality is the fabrication and manufacturing of steel metal products such as transparent ballot boxes among other things.
It added that on January 12, 1998,Bedding was issued with Certificate of Registration of Patent Right No RP 12994 and Registration of Industrial Design No RD 5946 in and over the invention named Transparent Ballot boxes by the Register of Patent.
Also on November 27, 2006,Bedding registered and was issued with the Patent Rights No RP166442 and Copyright Designs No RD 13841 in and over the invention named ” Electronic Collapsible Transparent Ballot Boxes an improved derivative of TBB, which features include the Electronic Card Reader and its Permanent Voters Card PVC and Patent Rights No RP NG/ P/ 2010/202, Proof of Address system/scheme/, the process and application of which is used to produce the voters register.
The patent and industrial Designs Rights of Bedding is still valid and subsisting till date having been extended at various times by Registrar of Patents
