Delhi HC halts release of Tamil movie 'Ajinomoto' over trademark

Dispute arose when Japanese company came across statements made by movie's director

The Delhi High Court has stopped the release of a Tamil movie called 'Ajinomoto' after a Japanese seasoning manufacturer moved court for infringement of its namesake trademark.

Ajinomoto is the trade name for Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), used as a taste enhancer in food. “Defendants shall not release the film under the title “AJINOMOTO” or any film bearing an identical or deceptively similar title/ name in any format i.e., cinema hall release, DVD/VCD release, release through OTT platforms, etc,” said Justice Sanjeev Narula.

The Japanese company said the name AJI-NOMOTO” is a combination of words meaning “Essence of Taste” in Japanese.