Entertainment — India Trademark Cases
17 decisions indexed
Page 1 of 1 · 17 total
Dharma Production Private Limited v.Bhallaram Choudhary
The Rajasthan High Court addressed an appeal filed by Dharma Production Private Limited seeking a stay on an injunction preventing the release of their movie, 'Jigra,' due to alleged trademark violation. The court initially found that prima facie, naming a movie does not constitute trademark infringement when the appellant is not trading in goods or services under that name. However, given that the film had already been released, the High Court ultimately disposed of the appeal while directing the Trial Court to proceed with the temporary injunction application and the main suit strictly according to law.
Neela Film Productions Private Limited v.Taarakmehtakaooltahchashmah.Com & Ors.
The Delhi High Court issued several procedural orders in favor of Neela Film Productions Private Limited (Plaintiff) in its copyright and trademark infringement suit against Taarakmehtakaooltahchashmah.Com & Ors. (Defendants). The court granted exemptions from pre-institution mediation, allowed the plaintiff to serve advance copies on a specific defendant despite lack of contact details, and directed that the plaint be formally registered as a commercial suit. These orders pave the way for the substantive trial concerning the alleged infringement of the popular show 'Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah'.
Kathakaar Films Production House v.Shane Ali & Ors
This appeal concerns allegations that Kathakaar Films Production House infringed upon the registered trademarks and copyrights of Shane Ali & Ors. The dispute centers on the use of a logo/mark deceptively similar to the respondents' property in the film 'MAIN LADEGA'. While the appellant admitted using the similar mark, they contested both trademark infringement and copyright violation, arguing the usage was incidental under Section 52(1)(u)(ii) of the Copyright Act. The court listed the appeal for further consideration on merits.
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation v.The Registrar
The Delhi High Court allowed Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation's appeal, overturning the Trade Marks Registry's refusal to register a proposed mark. The court held that despite some phonetic similarity, the marks were not similar when viewed as a whole because the cited mark was a composite device containing unique visual elements (a sketch and bilingual text) absent in the appellant's mark. This ruling emphasizes that for trademark opposition under Section 11(1), the comparison must be holistic, preventing mere phonetic resemblance from leading to rejection.
Guillermo Horacio Pino v.Blissbury Care Pvt. Ltd. & Anr.
The Delhi High Court granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction in favor of Guillermo Horacio Pino against Blissbury Care Pvt. Ltd. and others. The Plaintiff, who owns significant goodwill associated with the children's content brand 'PLIM PLIM,' successfully argued that the Defendants were using an identical mark for baby diaper products. The Court found a prima facie case, noting the likelihood of irreparable harm to the Plaintiff's reputation due to consumer confusion.
Minbimbangal Productions (P) Ltd and E9 Intrakt v.Harshini Movies
Minbimbangal Productions (P) Ltd filed a suit against Harshini Movies seeking permanent injunctions under the Trademarks Act, 1999, and the Copyright Act, 1957. The plaintiffs sought to prevent the defendant from using the title 'Vidathu Karuppu' or any deceptively similar title for their motion picture. However, subsequent developments revealed that the defendant had changed the name of their film to 'Shenbaga Kottai', leading the plaintiffs to withdraw the suit.
Minbimbangal Productions (P) Ltd v.Harshini Movies
Minbimbangal Productions (P) Ltd filed a suit against Harshini Movies seeking permanent injunction to prevent the use of the title 'Vidathu Karuppu' or any deceptively similar title for its motion picture. The plaintiffs had previously secured an interim injunction regarding this matter. However, subsequent developments revealed that the defendant had changed the name of their film to 'Shenbaga Kottai'. Consequently, the plaintiffs filed a memo stating that they were not pressing the suit further, leading the court to dismiss the case as not prosecuted.
Bluechip Amusements (India) Pvt.Ltd. v.Crazy Concepts & Mazes Pvt.Ltd.
The Madras High Court ruled in favor of Bluechip Amusements, granting a perpetual injunction against Crazy Concepts & Mazes. The dispute centered on the use of the terms 'HORROR HOUSE' and 'HOUSE OF HORRORS' in the amusement industry. Despite the defendant claiming prior rights and trademark registration, the court found that the plaintiff had established continuous business operations under these names since 2008. Consequently, the court held that the defendant's caution notice was unjustified and groundless, protecting the plaintiff's business interests.
Star Television Productions Limited & Ors. v.Vaishali Saran & Anr.
The Delhi High Court ruled in favor of Star Television Productions Limited, granting permanent injunctions against defendants for infringing on the 'HOTSTAR' brand through trademark misuse, copyright infringement of logos, and passing off. The court specifically ordered the transfer of deceptive domain names (hotstar.online and hotstarmovies.co) to the plaintiff, emphasizing that domain names function as commercial identifiers akin to trademarks in the digital age.
A.Rajendran v.Thenandal Studios Limited
The appeal was filed by A.Rajendran against an order dismissing his application for injunction, which sought to restrain respondents from using the title 'Mersal' (an adopted version of 'Merrasalaitan'). The court dismissed the appeal, finding that the appellant failed to prove that the subject title had acquired any goodwill or reputation.
Abp News Network Private Limited & Anr v.Pobi Infrastructure Private Limited & ...
The Calcutta High Court decreed a suit filed by ABP News Network against Pobi Infrastructure, resolving the dispute through an amicable out-of-court settlement. The defendants acknowledged that the mark "Shera Bangali" is a well-known trademark of the plaintiffs and committed not to use it for their upcoming or future film ventures. This judgment underscores the importance of pre-litigation settlements in IP disputes involving brand reputation.
M/s.Varsha Productions v.Shivaji Rao Gaikwad
The appeal arose from an interlocutory order concerning a suit filed by the respondent, Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (Rajinikanth), seeking to restrain M/s.Varsha Productions from using his name, image, or style in their film project 'Main Hoon Rajinikanth'. The parties subsequently reached a settlement.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. v.Mr. Gajendra Singh And Ors.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. filed a suit seeking perpetual injunction and damages against defendants for infringing its copyright in the television game show "Titan Antakshari" and passing off its competing show, "Antakshari - The Great Challenge," as associated with Zee's program. The court addressed the interim relief sought by the Plaintiff.
Kanungo Media (P) Ltd. v.Rgv Film Factory And Ors.
Kanungo Media sought a permanent injunction against Rgv Film Factory for using the title 'Nishabd' for their film, claiming it was deceptively similar to their award-winning film 'Nisshabd'. The plaintiff argued that its prior recognition and association with the name gave it exclusive rights. However, the Delhi High Court dismissed the interim injunction application due to significant delay in approaching the court, noting that the balance of convenience had shifted heavily in favor of the defendant as the film was nearing release.
Aasia Industrial Technologies Ltd. v.Ambience Space Sellers Ltd.
The plaintiffs, exclusive licensees of programs on Zee TV Channel, challenged the defendants (cable network operators) for blanking out/interrupting the signal and substituting local advertisements. The core issue was whether these actions violated their rights under copyright and passing off.
Goel Pocket Books v.Raja Pocket Books
The respondent, Raja Pocket Books, sought an ad interim injunction against the appellant, Goel Pocket Books, for using the deceptively similar trade mark 'Nagputra' in relation to comics, which infringed upon their established trade mark 'Nagraj'. The court found that there was a likelihood of confusion among consumers, especially children, and dismissed the appeal.
Time Warner Entertainment Company v.A.K. Das
Time Warner Entertainment Company sought a permanent injunction against A.K. Das for conducting television services under the name CBO/CABLE BOX OFFICE, which was deemed deceptively similar to Time Warner's established trade mark HBO/HOME BOX OFFICE. The court confirmed the interim injunction, finding that the balance of convenience favored the plaintiff.
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