Borat Suing Massachusetts Weed Company Over Use of Billboard Image…

Sacha Baron Cohen, better know as “Borat” is suing the Mass cannabis company ‘Solar Therapeutics” for 9-million bucks for copyright infringement and false advertising.  The weed company used an image of the Borat character on a billboard without permission, according to a court filing in the U.S. District Court District of Massachusetts.

The billboard features “Borat” posing with his signature two thumbs up next to text that reads “It’s Nice” also a signature of the Borat character.  Additional text includes “SOLAR Sustainable Cannabis Co.” and wishes drivers on the unnamed Mass Interstate Highway a “Happy 420.”  The billboard makes mention of Exit 10B in Somerset Mass according to a picture of the billboard included in the District Court document.  According to the document Solar Therapeutics is a Somerset based company.

According to the document filed in court, Sacha Baron Cohn’s lawyer estimated punitive and other damages to be $9 million based on the Defendant’s sales revenues of approximately $26 million per year.  The document goes on to state “Defendants believed Mr. Baron Cohen would not learn about the Billboard, so they took a gamble, guessing they could copy and use Mr. Baron Cohen’s image without ever having to pay for it”.

According to the lawsuit Sacha Baron Cohen has never used cannabis and feels it is an unhealthy choice and does not want to be involved in a “heated controversy” among the Orthodox Jewish community.  He was born into an Orthodox Jewish family and is an Observant Jew according to the document.  Some are of the belief that cannabis use is a violation of Jewish law.

If "Borat" wins the suit for 9-million there will surely be another "thumbs up" photo op followed by a "That's Nice!"