Madras High Court dismissed actress Tamannaah Bhatia’s appeal seeking damages from Power Soaps Limited over alleged unauthorized image use. Court held she failed to prove misuse beyond contract period, upholding earlier judgment.
The Madras High Court has dismissed an appeal by actress Tamannaah Bhatia, who had challenged the rejection of her Rs 1 crore damages claim against Power Soaps Limited. The claim related to the alleged unauthorised use of her photographs for the company’s soap products after her endorsement arrangement had ended.
A Division Bench comprising Justices P Velmurugan and K Govindarajan Thilakavadi upheld an earlier order of a single judge. The earlier court had held that Bhatia did not successfully prove that Power Soaps used her images beyond the time permitted under the contract.
The case originated from a 2008 agreement in which Bhatia allowed Power Soaps to use her images for promotional purposes for one year, with the licence expiring in October 2009.
Bhatia’s position was that even after the agreement period ended, the company continued using her photos on product packaging and in advertisements, as well as in online listings, during around 2010–2011. She alleged that this affected her commercial opportunities and resulted in financial loss when she was attempting to negotiate with competing brands.
On this basis, she sought Rs 1 crore in damages and asked for a permanent injunction to prevent Power Soaps from using her images further.
However, the single judge rejected her suit after concluding that the evidence she relied on such as product wrappers, a document she described as a purchase record, and internet listings was not reliable. The court found that it did not establish a clear link between Power Soaps and the alleged misuse of her photographs.
The single judge ultimately ruled that Bhatia’s claim was not supported by convincing evidence, dismissed her damages request as well as the prayer for an injunction, and dismissed the suit with costs.
The Division Bench has now confirmed the single judge’s conclusions, leading to the dismissal of Bhatia’s appeal.
Case Title: Tamanna Santosh Bhatia v. Power Soaps
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