(This article is authored by Alar)

A legal tussle has erupted over the title of Vignesh Shivan’s upcoming film ‘LIC’, which stands for ‘Love Insurance Corporation’. The film, which promises to be a fantasy sci-fi love story, has run into trouble with the government-owned Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), which claims that the title infringes on its trademark and reputation.

LIC of India has issued a  notice to the makers of ‘LIC’ the film, asking them to change the title within seven days or face action. The notice states that the use of the title ‘LIC’ is “illegal, unauthorized and amounts to infringement of our intellectual property rights”. It also warns that the film may “mislead, confuse and deceive” the public and cause “irreparable loss and damage” to LIC of India.

The film’s director, Vignesh Shivan, has not yet responded to the notice or the media queries. He had recently launched the film with a pooja ceremony, featuring Pradeep Ranganathan, Krithi Shetty and SJ Suryah in the lead roles. The film also boasts of a stellar technical team, including cinematographer Ravi Varman and editor Pradeep E Ragav. The film is produced by Lalit Kumar of Seven Screen Studio, who had also backed Lokesh Kanagaraj’s blockbuster ‘Leo’.

The title dispute has also drawn the attention earlier of another filmmaker, SS Kumaran, who claims that he had registered the title ‘LIC’ in 2015 for his own film. He has accused Vignesh Shivan of “stealing” the title and “disrespecting” the small producers in the industry. He has also threatened to take legal action against Shivan and his team.

As the clock ticks for the deadline, the fate of ‘LIC’ the film hangs in the balance. Will Vignesh Shivan stick to his original title or opt for a new one or will LIC of India relent or pursue the matter further and will SS Kumaran join the fray or back off? Meanwhile, the film's first look is said to be unveiled on February 14, on the occasion to the Valentine day.