Malhotra Surgical Industries v. Dharam Pal Singh Bhatia & Anr.

Shyam SundervsPushpa Devi And Ors.

The Punjab-Haryana High Court addressed a complex dispute over the usage rights of the registered trademark 'Shehnai' for edible oils. The appeal, filed by Shyam Sunder (the defendant), challenged the lower court's decision which granted co-usage rights to the plaintiffs (Pushpa Devi and Ors.). After examining evidence regarding prior use, partnership history, and consumer perception, the High Court dismissed the appeal. It ultimately found that both parties had established usage rights, thereby upholding the principle of shared or concurrent trademark use in this specific context.

DhinamalarvsDaily Thanthi

Dhinamalar, a major Tamil daily, sued Daily Thanthi for infringing its mark and passing off its children's magazine supplement, 'Siruvar Malar'. The dispute centered on whether the use of this name by the competitor constituted an exclusive proprietary right or merely a common descriptive term.

Jolen Inc.vsShobanlal Jain & Ors

The Delhi High Court ruled in favor of Jolen Inc., setting aside previous decisions by the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) and the Assistant Registrar of Trade Marks. The court recognized that Jolen's mark had acquired significant trans-border reputation and goodwill due to its extensive international use, which spilled over into India. By establishing Jolen as the first party in both international and domestic markets, the High Court mandated the registration of the trademark for the Petitioner.

The Applicant (Naga Industries)vsM/S. Lachmi Marain Traders And Others

The Madras High Court dismissed the applicant's requests for an interim injunction against trademark infringement and passing off. The court found that despite the similarity between 'NAGA' and 'AAGA', there was no convincing prima facie case, noting that the respondent had been using their mark openly since 2006 with significant advertising expenditure. Furthermore, the court highlighted the delay in the applicant filing suit (only after receiving a cease and desist notice in 2011) as a critical factor against granting immediate relief.

Johnson EnterprisesvsJohnson Appliances Pvt. Ltd.

The Delhi High Court dismissed an appeal filed by Johnson Enterprises, upholding a prior order that granted an interim injunction to Johnson Appliances Pvt. Ltd. The core issue was whether the appellant had used the 'JOHNSON' trademark for electric water geysers since 1999, and if so, when the respondent became aware of this use. The court found that the limited evidence (twelve invoices spanning 1999 to 2006) was insufficient to prove that the respondent had knowledge of the appellant's continuous use prior to 2006, thus confirming the injunction.