Mr Packer, owner of Channel Nine television network, has moved court against the Australian online tax return company eReturn. His legal team has asked for a ban on the eReturn advertisement for using Packer's image without his permission.

Justice Mr Arthur Emmett granted an injunction banning eReturn from running the advertisement campaign in a national daily, the Australian, on Monday. The federal court judge yesterday extended the injunction till Friday. His lawyers said the image of Mr Packer was "so dominating, his reputation as a canny investor so widespread and his reputed association with Internet or dotcom investments so prolific" that publication of the advertisement would "associate him indelibly and wrongly with e-Return".

The court action banning the use of Mr Packer's smiling face in eReturn advertisements covers not only the print media but also the Internet, television and other media. The advertisement also features one of the Australian billionaire's famous quotes, "If anybody in this country does not minimise their tax, they want their heads read." He had made the comment during his speech to the House of Representatives in 1991.

Last week, Australian opposition spokesman Mr Mark Latham had slammed Mr Packer for one his gambling binges in which he is believed to have lost 34 million Australian dollars in one day in Las Vegas. Australian prime minister Mr John Howard had to come to his defence on that occasion.

Mr Packer, who has made substantial investments in Indian information technology (IT) companies, is considered notorious in Australia for his alleged tax "dodging" tactics. Over the years, he has also been involved in jousts with various federal governments over the cross media ownership regulations.

IANS