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“Section 47 of Trade Marks Act, 1999 serves to protect the integrity of the trade mark register by ensuring that registered marks that are not actively used in commerce are removed.”
“Commonly used words, or a non-distinctive combination of commonly used words, cannot be monopolised by any one person, so as to disentitle the rest of the world to the use thereof.”
“A party can only seek permission from a Court to reserve its rights to urge a challenge at a later point of time. For that, such rights must be in existence in praesenti, when the plea is made, or should be foreseeable as arising in the future.”
“The mark “NEW BALANCE” is a unique combination of two distinctive words i.e., “New” and “Balance” which have no connection, allusion, or description of the products of the services offered by plaintiff and the logo is also quite distinctive.”
“The confusion is exacerbated by the look and feel of the defendants’ website which has, obviously, deliberately and intentionally, been made to copy the plaintiffs’ website.”
“One cannot forget that these are ayurvedic preparations and not allopathic medicines or scheduled drugs for which, doctors’ prescriptions are required. These are over the counter preparations, which are often brought by patients without prescription.”
“In the case of pharmaceutical, cosmetics, health and related wellness products a higher standard would be required to be laid down in view of the damage that such products can cause to the consumers.”
“This Court is not inclined to stay the impugned trade mark registration for the mark ‘SCHEZWAN CHUTNEY’. Moreover, the issue of jurisdiction of this Court would have to be considered first.”
“If an ad interim injunction is not granted in the present case it will cause irreparable loss to the plaintiff, as the defendants’ packaging is deceptively similar to that of the plaintiff’s, which causes confusion to the customers.”
“Where the marks in question pertain to food items, or eateries where food items are dispensed and served, a somewhat higher degree of care and caution is expected to be observed.”
“With the expansion of the internet, and access to goods and services that may originate from some distant site, a litigant is free to file an infringement, or passing off, suit, before any Court within whose jurisdiction use of the impugned mark takes place.”
“To hold that a customer would be confused, because the word ‘XPERT’ forms the second part of the second word of the impugned mark, would be consigning reality to oblivion.”
“The Appellate Court while hearing an appeal against an interim order ought not to disturb the prima facie findings, but it can substitute its own discretion when it is found that the Trial Court has exercised the jurisdiction in ignorance of settled principles of law.”
Bombay High Court explained that there is no power vested in the police under Section 115(4) of Trade Marks Act, 1999 to seal the factory premises, where the incriminating articles are situated.
The Delhi High Court observed that ‘VOLVO' mark was blatantly infringed as branded stickers and infringing products bearing the said mark were found on the premises of the defendant.
The Delhi High Court dismissed Subway's plea for injunction for its mark “SUBWAY” against Infinity Food's mark “SUBERB” in a trade mark infringement case and held that the appearance of Infinity Food's red and white “SUBERB” mark could not be said to be deceptively similar to Subway's device mark, “SUBWAY”.
The Delhi High Court held that the use of mark “AIVVA” by Aivva Enterprises (P) Ltd. was phonetically similar to the mark “AIWA” of Aiwa Co. Ltd. and thus, caused confusion in the market. Therefore, the Court confirmed ex-parte ad interim injunction in favour of the mark “AIWA” in a trade mark infringement suit.
The Delhi High Court allowed an appeal moved by the Armasuisse (Federal Agency of the Swiss Federation) and held that the marks ‘white cross on black background’, ‘white cross on red background’ and ‘SWISS MILITARY’ were all ineligible for trade mark registration in respect of textiles as it might suggest link to Swiss military establishment.
The Delhi High Court granted ad-interim injunction to New Bharat Overseas for its mark ‘TAJ MAHAL’ and restrained Kian Agro Processing (P) Ltd. from affixing the mark ‘TAJ MAHAL’ or any other mark deceptively similar to the registered marks for the purposes of selling or marketing rice in India or for export to any entity, till the pendency of the suit.
The Delhi High Court granted permanent injunction to RPG Enterprises Ltd. for its mark ‘RPG’. Further, RPG Developers (P) Ltd. were restrained from offering/rendering any services using the impugned trade mark ‘RPG’ and/or ‘RPG DEVELOPERS’ and/or artistic work which was a colourable imitation of the plaintiff’s artistic work or any other trade mark/artistic work deceptively similar to the ‘RPG’ marks of the plaintiff. Additionally, Rs. 3 lakhs were awarded as damages to the plaintiff.