BJP leader’s son, three others arrested for misusing trademark in TN

THOOTHUKUDI: As many as four persons, including a BJP functionary’s son, were arrested by the sleuths attached to the Intellectual Property Right Enforcement Cell (IPREC) on charges of manufacturing safety matches using trademark symbols of another company on Friday.

Proprietor of Om Matches, Vinoth Prabakar, filed a complaint that a few manufacturers from the locality had misused his company’s trademark ‘elephant’ symbol. Prabakar, who is running his manufacturing unit at SIDCO Industrial Estate in Kovilpatti, submitted a video clip in which over 1,000 bundles were stocked at a unit.

Investigations revealed that Sri Abishekapriyan Match Industries run by Saravanan, Venkatesh and Kutti, have been supplying safety matches featuring the ‘elephant’ logo to one Harish. This is based on an order placed by Match Trading Company owned by Harish, the son of Thoothukudi North Unit BJP vice president Balu.

Harish had allegedly printed the fake labels featuring the symbols and gave them to Sri Abishekapriyan Match industries for packing the manufactured safety matches. Investigation revealed that there have been violations of the provisions of trademark rules and the Copyright Act.

Based on the complaint, the IPREC wing registered a case against Harish, Saravanan, Venkatesh and Kutti under Section 51 (b)(i) and 63 (a) of Copyright Act, 1957. The four were arrested on Friday and were released later, said sources.