New Delhi: The event management company which handles the G20 summit events in Goa has sent a defamation notice to the art gallery of painter Mario Miranda, demanding Rs 25 crore for allegedly tarnishing its reputation, O Heraldo reported.
The defamation notice by Sean AdEvent was, in fact, in response to Mario Gallery’s July 2 notice to the event management agency and the Goa chief secretary alleging unauthorised use of the painter’s artwork for the promotion of the G20 events. The gallery had demanded that the agency and the state government authorities seek permission to use Miranda’s work.
Gerard Da Cunha, the curator of Mario Gallery, told Scroll on Monday, July 17, that Sean AdEvent sent its defamation notice on July 10, claiming that the Mario Gallery had no right over Miranda’s work. “They even said that the artwork does not belong to Mario and have demanded Rs 25 crore because we defamed them,” the report quoted Da Cunha as saying.
Miranda, a renowned yesteryear painter and cartoonist, hailed from Loutolim village of South Goa. He died in December 2011. In 2012, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award.
The issue first came to light earlier this month when the late painter’s sons had said that they were surprised by the alleged illegal use of their father’s copyrighted work.
Responding to the notice from Sean AdEvent, Da Cunha said that the Mario Gallery has no objections if Miranda’s works are used to promote G20 events, but, he said, prior permission should have been taken by the organisers.
“Everybody takes permission…the Indian Navy, the Airport Authority, the Income Tax Department all of them take permission,” Da Cunha said.
According to O Heraldo, Da Cunha alleged that even after eight days, Mario Miranda’s famous caricature drawings in the form of life-sized figurines continued to be installed at Old Goa and Dona Paula for the G20 Summit.
“I don’t think the agency or the government has any intention to remove those drawings. The G20 next meeting is also scheduled in the coming week,” he said.
The Gallery had taken note of eight figurines in Old Goa, eight figurines in two clusters at the Goa University, and four figurines at the NIO Circle, the O Heraldo report added.
An earlier version of this copy erroneously said Rs 100 crore defamation was filed. Sean AdEvent has actually sought Rs 25 crore for alleged defamation from Mario Gallery.