Madras HC dismisses Tamannaah's ₹1cr compensation claim against soap company
What's the story
The Madras High Court has dismissed actor Tamannaah Bhatia's appeal for ₹1 crore compensation from Power Soaps Limited over the alleged unauthorized use of her images. The division bench comprising Justices P Velmurugan and K Govindarajan Thilakavadi upheld an earlier ruling that had deemed her claims void due to a lack of credible evidence on Thursday, reported Bar and Bench.
Dispute details
The reason behind Bhatia's legal battle
The controversy dates back to 2008 when Bhatia signed an endorsement deal with Power Soaps. The contract allowed the company to use her photos for one year, until October 2009. However, Bhatia alleged that the company continued using her images on product wrappers and in advertisements even in 2010 and 2011 without her consent. This unauthorized usage allegedly violated their agreement and harmed her professional prospects.
Legal proceedings
Court found no evidence of image usage beyond contract period
Bhatia claimed that the unauthorized association with Power Soaps negatively impacted her commercial value, as she was in talks with competing brands at the time. She sought ₹1 crore in damages and a permanent injunction to restrain the company from further usage of her images. However, the court found Bhatia's evidence- product wrappers, a purchase document, and certain internet listings- unreliable and insufficient to prove that Power Soaps had continued using her images after their contract expired.
Appeal outcome
Division bench upholds single judge's ruling
Dissatisfied with the initial ruling, Bhatia moved an appeal before a Division Bench of the Madras High Court. The bench re-examined the findings of the single judge and after reviewing the records, found no reason to interfere with the earlier ruling. It agreed that Bhatia had failed to establish that Power Soaps used her images beyond their agreed contractual period.