Harish S. Adwant
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is facing the chill winds as Sunil Lal, Designer of the AAP symbol serves legal notice upon the Party Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, demanding the withdrawal of the symbol from the website, banners, publications, campaign posters or any other purposes, failing which he would move the Delhi High Court.
“I sent a notice to Kejriwal through my counsel Avinash Chandra on June 22 asking him to stop using the logo designed by me from all works or else I will be left with no option but to approach court to get it stopped”, Lal said.
The former AAP patron asserts copyright over the ‘jhaadu’ (party logo)and demands forcomplete discontinuation of unwarranted usage of his intellectual property.
Lal, logotype designer, was instrumental in the Anna Hazare led Anti-Corruption Movement in 2011. Subsequent to his separation from the party, he wrote a letter to the Delhi Chief Minister on April 8 where he “categorically requested the AAP not to use the logo designed by him in posters, banners, flags, websites and other means of publicity. But they continue to use it blatantly.” he bemoaned.
“Through that letter I had also resigned from the party as I felt AAP was not going in the direction for which we had struggled”, he added.
With copyright infringement allegations brewing against the party, one can only wait for another session of melodramatics from the AAP spokespersons ranging from party politics to lobbying.
