Prior to Karnataka election, the Congress party launched a poster campaign titled ‘PayCM’ targeting the former chief minister, Basavaraj Bommai.
Acampaign led by Congress in Madhya Pradesh, where a picture of CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan was used on QR code with PhonePe written under it has drawn sharp reaction from the tech giant. The company has objected to the use of its logo and threatened of legal action.
The posters were set up across the capital city of Bhopal accusing Chouhan of engaging in corrupt practices by accepting money in return for executing work.
The posters read: “50% laao, PhonePe kaam karao (pay 50% commission to get your work done)”.
PhonePe, however, took to Twitter to protest against any “third party” using its branding on the poster. The company wrote: “PhonePe objects to the unauthorized usage of its brand logo, by any third party, be it political or non-political. We are not associated with any political campaign or party.”
In another Tweet, it added: “The PhonePe logo is a registered trademark of our company and any unauthorized use of PhonePe’s intellectual property rights will invite legal action. We humbly request @INCMPto remove the posters and banners featuring our brand logo and colour.”
Drawing parallels to the recently concluded Karnataka elections, the poster battle unfolding in Madhya Pradesh showcases similar patterns. Prior to the southern state’s election, the Congress party launched a poster campaign titled ‘PayCM’ targeting the former chief minister, Basavaraj Bommai.
