New Delhi: The suit demands damages of Rs10 crore from Greenpeace for defamation and wrongful use of the Tata trademark in their game.
Greenpeace’s Pac-Man-style video game was inspired by the conflict in coastal Orissa between the endangered Olive Ridley Turtles and Tata Steel’s deep water port in the area. In the game, which was launched by the NGO about a month ago to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Pac-Man, the player is a turtle that has to eat as much healthy food as it can while avoiding the ‘Tata demons’ that threaten its home.
Justice Ravindra Bhatt, while admitting the plea, issued a notice to the NGO and asked them to file their reply by July 27. The description of the online game reads, “With Turtle vs Tata, Greenpeace India hopes to transform online gamers into concerned citizens. The Pac-Man-style video game is based on a real-life tussle involving endangered Olive Ridley Sea Turtles.”
According to Greenpeace, Tata Steel has been building a deep-water port along the coast of Orissa, in eastern India, less than 15km from one of the biggest nesting sites of the endangered turtle. However, the Tatas, in their petition stated that they possess all clearances from the respective state departments and demanded an apology from the NGO.
The Tatas’ petition states, “The aim of the colorful and noisy video game is to help the yellow turtles eat as many little white dots as possible without running into Ratty (presumably after Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata Group), Matty, Natty or Tinku… The NGO has not only infringed the trade mark rights of the TATA but is also maligning the reputation of the company, thereby injuring the same in their profession.”
TATA has maintained that construction of the port does not violate India’s Forest Conservation Act and that it has stood by an environmental assessment of the location carried out in 1999, when the port was first proposed.
