It seems like whatever Salman Khan does, ends up in a roaring controversy. The 'Dabangg' actor who recently celebrated his birthday, launched a web portal khanmarketonline, on the same day in a smart publicity move, calling it a gift to his fans. The celebration however was short-lived as the name has already lead to a legal issue for Khan, with the Khan Market Traders' Association of Delhi.
President of the association, Sanjiv Mehra has alleged that the actor is trying to gain “mileage out of Khan market's popularity”. He said, “We are an internationally recognised market established in 1950. Salman Khan is neither part of the market, nor has he approached anyone here. He cannot use the name.” He said he has plans to send a request to Khan, asking him to change the name of his portal. “Salman Khan is a brand, it (the portal) could be named salmankhanmarketonline. Why use a brand that is already there? Salman is an entity agreed, then let him use his own credentials. Why should he take mileage out of Khan market's publicity? Salman asks people to be human; he should just be one and volunteer to change his portal.” When asked if he would take a legal step, Mehra said, “I will discuss it with my legal team.”
Talking about the potential of the freshly brewing controversy, Supreme Court advocate Jitendra Mohan Sharma said there might be a fighting chance. “On principle, Khan market is an older entity and Salman Khan is a brand in himself but Khan market is also an established name. Being an older brand is a point Khan market can bank upon. Dominant principle would apply – which one is older and more popular,” Sharma said. However, equity and brand value could tip the scales. “Khan does not carry anything as it is a surname. It holds no weightage in copyrights issues. How it is to be balanced is for the two sides to agree upon. Equities will also have to be considered as to how much is at stake.”
However, there are others who disagree. A sessions court judge said, “Anyone can use a name if it is not registered yet. Khan market per se can be anywhere in the country. There is no legal barrier standing on the way. Now if Bengali Market says it represents only Bengalis, you won’t find defence personnel in Defence Colony. So these are misnomers.”
