The suit by Ajinomoto Inc sought a permanent injunction restraining infringement of its registered trademark ‘AJI-NO-MOTO’, passing off and unfair competition.
Counsel for the plaintiff contended that the use of the title by the filmmakers not only infringes the plaintiff’s trademark rights, but is also disparaging and defaming as the film’s director, Mathiraj Iyamperumal, made false public statements in relation to the plaintiff’s mark in the context of the film.
In that light, he drew the Court’s attention to an article in the magazine Outlook, in which the director’s statements were published. The publication read,
“Talking about the film, director Iyamperumal says, “‘Ajinomoto’ is a flavour enhancer. But it is in fact a kind of poison that kills humans slowly. The story of ‘Ajinomoto’ has been conceived and crafted based on this concept of the cooking ingredient. He further spoke about the duality of the film’s characters, “Certain situations in this firm will make some of the characters appear in it look good at one point. But just like how the ingredient can cause great danger subsequently, these characters can indulge in actions that can cause difficult consequences.”
Source: Barandbench
