Borat star drops lawsuit against Somerset cannabis dispensary Solar Therapeutics

Audrey Cooney, The Herald News
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BOSTON — Actor Sacha Baron Cohen has dropped his copyright lawsuit against Solar Therapeutics, a Somerset cannabis dispensary that used his image for a billboard without his permission.

Last July, the Borat creator and star along with his company Please You Can Touch, LLC filed a lawsuit in federal court asking for at least $9 million in damages from Solar Therapeutics, located on Brayton Point Road in Somerset.

The complaint said the company failed to get permission to use Baron Cohen's image before posting a billboard that showed his character Borat, giving a thumbs up and saying "It's nice!" above the words "Happy 4/20!" The billboard, which was on I-195 near Exit 10, was taken down this past April after being up for several weeks, but the company did not compensate the actor for using his image, according to the lawsuit.

A billboard that has since been taken down in Somerset used an image of Sacha Baron Cohen character "Borat" to advertise a Somerset marijuana dispensary.
A billboard that has since been taken down in Somerset used an image of Sacha Baron Cohen character "Borat" to advertise a Somerset marijuana dispensary.

The complaint said Baron Cohen has never used marijuana and did not wish to endorse its use, for reasons including his Jewish faith, federal laws against cannabis use and potential damage to his reputation as a social activist.

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"He would be appalled if his young children were to discover, mistakenly or otherwise, that he was involved with the promotion of cannabis," the complaint read in part.

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Court documents filed on Tuesday show that Baron Cohen has now dropped his lawsuit without payment.

A representative for Solar Therapeutics did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Audrey Cooney can be reached at acooney@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Borat star drops lawsuit against Somerset cannabis dispensary