The Delhi High Court
on Friday issued an interim order restraining DB Dixon Battery from using
cricketer Shikhar Dhawan's images in the promotion of its products.
The bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad directed the
company to immediately stop any further use of Dhawan's likeness for
endorsement purposes until the next hearing date.
The case revolves around a petition filed by Dhawan,
who argued that his agreement with DB Dixon Battery had expired in November
2024, with a portion of the agreed payment still pending. Despite the
termination of the contract, Dhawan alleged that the company continued using
his images for product endorsements without his consent.
During the hearing,
Dhawan's legal team highlighted that the ongoing unauthorised use of his image
was in breach of the contractual terms, and they sought an injunction to
prevent further exploitation of his likeness. In response, the court issued a
notice to DB Dixon Battery, instructing them to cease all promotional
activities involving Dhawan's images until the matter is resolved.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for
February 18, 2025, to further examine the case.
Additionally, Dhawan's petition
also sought the appointment of an arbitrator to address the unresolved payment
dispute and other contractual issues between the cricketer and the company. The
court has issued a notice on this request as well, signalling its intention to
address the matter comprehensively.
As per the copy of
Shikhar Dhawan's lawsuit, an endorsement agreement was initially signed in 2020
between Dhawan and DB Dixon Battery to promote their products. The agreement
expired in January 2022, yet DB Dixon continued to use Dhawan's images without
his consent.
In July 2023, both parties entered into a new
endorsement deal, and Dhawan received the first instalment of payment. However,
the remaining payments were not made, prompting Dhawan to issue a legal notice
demanding a settlement of the outstanding amount.
On November 28, 2024, Dhawan terminated the
agreement, instructing the company to cease using his images across all
platforms. Subsequently, Dhawan sent a notice invoking arbitration under the
terms of the agreement to resolve the dispute.
As DB Dixon failed to respond to
the arbitration notice, Dhawan moved the matter to court through a petition.