Model and actress Maggie Q is facing off against skin-care giant Nivea after it allegedly used her image without consent to sell beauty products in the SAR and Taiwan.
Maggie Q, whose full name is Margaret Denise Quigley, filed an 11-page writ in the High Court on Wednesday against Thai-based Jen International Model Management Ltd and the Thai, mainland and Hong Kong-based companies incorporated with the Beiersdorf Group, which manufactures Nivea beauty products.
The writ states that as a result of the unauthorised campaign, advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi Taiwan - which hired Ms Quigley to endorse rival product Oil of Olay in Taiwan - threatened to terminate their contract.
The writ also says Ms Quigley lost the opportunity to earn fees for endorsing other beauty products in the SAR and Taiwan.
The Hong-Kong based personality is seeking damages and injunctions against the companies concerned and to restrain 'further acts of passing off' Nivea products in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
She also issued an order for the return of all printed material and commercial films featuring herself.
The dispute centres on an 18-month agreement Ms Quigley made with Jen International to star in a print and film campaign for Beiersdorf (Thailand) Company Ltd to promote Nivea in Thailand and Indonesia in 1997.