"17 Advertisements Before Screening... Missed Work Meeting"
Claimed 'Unfair Trade' and Filed for Damages
"Time Is Money, Extremely Precious" - Compensation Awarded
An Indian lawyer who went to watch a 145-minute movie filed a lawsuit against a theater after suffering losses due to 25 minutes of advertisements.
On the 26th (local time), CNN reported that a man working as a lawyer in the southern city of Bangalore, India, filed a lawsuit against the largest cinema chain PVR INOX, claiming "there are too many advertisements before the movie screening." He was eventually recognized for the need for compensation and reportedly received damages.
According to court documents, a man named Abhishen (31) booked three tickets on December 26, 2023, to watch the movie "Sam Bahadur." The movie was 2 hours and 25 minutes long, scheduled to start at 4:05 PM and end at 6:30 PM. He planned to attend a work-related conference call at 6:30 PM, but the movie ended late around 7 PM, causing him to miss the meeting.
Abhishen claimed that a total of 17 advertisements, including two public service announcements before the movie started, were shown, and argued that this practice constituted an "unfair trade." He stated, "It was an immeasurable loss. I wasted time and suffered mental distress," and filed a claim for damages totaling 50,000 rupees (approximately 823,500 KRW), including legal costs. The cinema countered by saying, "It is a legal obligation to play 10 minutes of public service advertisements before the screening." However, it was revealed that most of the advertisements were commercial.
Ultimately, the Indian Consumer Disputes Commission ruled in favor of Abhishen. They ordered the cinema chain to pay 20,000 rupees (approximately 329,400 KRW) in damages plus an additional 8,000 rupees (approximately 131,800 KRW). They also ordered a donation of 100,000 rupees (approximately 1,648,000 KRW) to the "Consumer Welfare Fund," a government agency that protects consumers. The commission explained in the ruling, "Time in modern society is considered money. An individual's time is very precious," adding, "25 to 30 minutes is too long to watch unnecessary advertisements in a theater."
Abhishen emphasized, "This case has received significant attention from media worldwide," and said, "My efforts were definitely worthwhile." He added, "I hope this lawsuit influences other companies in India," and stated, "All companies need to recognize how important their customers' time is and think about ways not to waste it."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
