As a result of Greenpeace India’s “Turtle vs. Tata” video game, it now looks like Greenpeace is going to have more than one lawsuit on its hands. The first lawsuit I discussed in my recent posts “Tatas Push Back” and “More Thoughts About Tatas,” where I wrote about how Greenpeace India has been sued in an Indian court over charges of trademark infringement and libel.
Briefly, Greenpeace India created a video game satirizing the owners of Tata Industries, which is involved in the construction of a deep-water port in India. The port construction, Greenpeace contends, is too close to a turtle nesting area, so the video game was created to put political pressure on Tata. Tata, which is reported to have all necessary government permits for the construction project, was not amused by the video game and decided to file suit against the NGO. For more details on the case, please review the two articles linked above.
Now there might be a second lawsuit.
In a DNA India article from yesterday, it was reported that the producers of India’s highest grossing film, Sholay, will take legal action against Greenpeace India over its “Turtle vs. Tata” video game. Apparently, the video game, in its depiction of the Tatas, also contained suggestions of or allusions to the characters depicted in Sholay. The producers’ complaints will be gross trademark violation and a wrongful use of the characters from the film. From DNA India:
Greenpeace’s animation is a violation of trademark copyright and underlying rights. They have . . . associated Sholay and all its characters in negative light. We, the owners of the characters, do not support Greenpeace’s views.
It is very irresponsible for an NGO to violate intellectual property rights of India’s most famous film and tarnish the image of our legendary characters.
- Sascha Sippy, chairman, Sholay Media and Entertainment
As I said in my earlier articles, it will be interesting to see how this plays out because the nature of this case differs significantly from similar legal challenges to activists in other nations.
Stay “tuned” to Telofski.com.
