Digital payment provider PhonePe protested to the usage of its brand in the
Congress-created posters accusing Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj
Singh Chouhan of corruption that appeared throughout Bhopal.
The Congress put up Shivraj Singh Chouhan posters all over the capital city
of Bhopal amid a poster war between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and
the Congress in the election-bound state of Madhya Pradesh, accusing him
of getting work done in exchange for money.
The signs included Chouhan’s visage and a QR code that stated, “50% laao,
PhonePe kaam karao (pay 50% commission to get your work done)”.
In response to the posters, PhonePe stated on Monday through Twitter that
its logo should be taken off the posters and that it “objected to the
unauthorised use of its brand logo by any third party, whether political or
non-political.”
As it requested the Congress party to take down the posters using the
PhonePe name and logo, the business threatened “legal action” if the logo
was used without permission.
PhonePe rejects any unauthorized political or non-political use of its brand
logo by a third party. We are not connected to any political party or
campaign. Our business has registered the PhonePe logo as a trademark.
Any misuse of PhonePe’s intellectual property rights will result in legal
action. We humbly ask @INCMP to take down the posters that feature our
name and logo, the business tweeted.
The recently ended Karnataka elections and the Madhya Pradesh poster
war are related. The Congress sponsored a “PayCM” billboard campaign
against the outgoing chief minister, Basavaraj Bommai, ahead of the
election in the southern state.
According to Supervisor of Police (SP) Rajesh Singh Chandel, a case was
opened at the Padao police station under the appropriate sections of the
Indian Penal Code (IPC) in response to a complaint about the offensive
posters of the chief minister.
He stated that more inquiry was under progress and that the FIR’s (first
information report) accused had not been named.”PhonePe objects to any
third party, political or otherwise, using its trademark logo without
permission. We have no affiliation with any political party or campaign.
“Our company’s trademark, the PhonePe logo, is registered, and any
unauthorized use of PhonePe’s intellectual property rights will result in
legal action. PhonePe tweeted, “We humbly beg @INCMP to remove the
posters and banners bearing our brand’s logo and colours.
