[libranof1987]

Remember the legal suit Vodafone sent one of its Users for ridiculing it on Facebook?

Looks like we have another example; this time in the Automobile industry.

Hyundai mulls legal action over Aamir Khan's 'Delhi Belly' - The Economic Times

I haven't seen Delhi Belly yet but the report says - "It is understood that the company is unhappy with the way a car "seemingly looking like a Santro" has been depicted in the movie, although there is no proper branding of the car shown. Moreover, some of the dialogues over the car were allegedly in bad taste."

Can a manufacturer do that? Where's the freedom of speech and legal mumbo jumbo gone?

Going by the reports, the producers have ensured Hyundai, Santro or their badges aren't visible, they why is Hyundai upset? If you look at those ancient Akshay Kumar or Govinda movies, the producers of their movies would have lost billions for the way they protrayed car chases!

Hyundai's supposed intent if filing a case is in really bad taste, IMO.

[revintup]

Maybe if it was defamatory in nature. Anybody knows what exactly was said. So will there be action against car testing as well?

[honeybee]

It's a delicate matter. While on one hand personal opinions about branded products cannot be sued against, when you use them in a medium like a movie, you must be sure it's not spreading a bad message about the product.

So Hyundai's deliberations are not in bad taste, they are just an attempt to protect their brand by intentional/unintentional mass criticism.

And it doesn't matter if the brand marks/names/logos have been removed from the product or obscured. The shape of a car is pretty much unique. You could recognize a Santro even if it came without its Santro / Hyundai labels.

[xingamazon]

Well here are my views:
1. Any such degradation of product whatsoever is not good and can end up being sued for sure. Unless there is a disclaimer made in the film.
2. Going by what I know about Aamir khan he would have took shot at Santro (prod endorsed by SRK) just for fun. So Hyundai would have thought it would be good to teach him a lesson
3. You never know having seen so many unnecessary cheap news creating marketing stunts of the DB team this might be one of them.

[ottocycle]

The car used in DB was a santro but it was modded. Headlamps and taillamps had covering.

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

Interesting thread . Although I am on the other side now, this topic for discussion will be interesting as I had an opportunity to see the manufacturers view from close quarters (four years to be precise). Will be following this thread closely.

Spike

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Can a manufacturer do that? Where's the freedom of speech and legal mumbo jumbo gone?

Exactly the same thought. What’s wrong with Hyundai?
In this case producers may have to get custom-made cars for movies

[raghu.t.k]

Though this could affect the brand value they should not be getting to the courts for such things, both in the case of Vodafone and Hyundai

In which case how many cases would the producer of Top Gear series have to handle. Some of the caustic remarks and the way they handle the cars would lead to a lot of such cases.

[driverace]

Can resist adding some angle to this (filmi journalist style).

Was this to just flick dirt on a car maker because they did choose "certain" rival actor (of the actor in the concerned movie?) as their brand ambassador?

Ace.

P.S. I am not using any names at all!, as I dont want to get sued by either of them!

[dhanushs]

I think its just a publicity stunt.

[mayankk]

and vodafone had a different tinge to it as well.
that guy had put up contact details of the officios, no?

but this, hyundai should turn it around!
the car got banged up, shot at, and saved the hero, got him the girl!!(lil exaggeration on the last one, but still!)
whats Hyundai's crib?

[Captain Slow]

What would Hyundai do to Jeremy Clarkson if said something about their cars on national Television? Oh wait a minute he has already done that when reviewed the Hyundai accent Diesel!

[jeepster]

Originally Posted by mayankk

but this, hyundai should turn it around!
the car got banged up, shot at, and saved the hero, got him the girl!!(lil exaggeration on the last one, but still!)

IMO it was the humble old gen maruti aka ss80.

[BlackPearl]

What happened to the movie Fast n Furious Tokyo Drift where Han said to the hero when he gave him a mitsubishi evo - "what do you think? I would let you drive a Hyundai" or something similar to this line. Hyundai should have taken legal action for that too.

[IQBAL VEERJI]

I dont remember correctly but it was somewhere in mid ninties , a magzine ,I think it was INDIAN AUTO,had photographs of new cars ,existing as well as coming in future.
They had Marutis,Matiz,Ceilos,etc photographed from different angles.some of them died immediately .
Then there was a balck and white photograph of a bullock cart on a beach and below that photo was written "NEXT MODEL OF HINDUSTAN AMBASSADOR" I felt like smashing the face of that mag's EDITOR, That idiot may not be knowing the history of AMBY.
HM as usual just kept to themself instead of sueing that joker for making FUN OF THEIR PRODUCT.The magzine also died later.