Delhi High Court mandates removal of fraudulent IKEA trademark exploitation, targeting websites, apps, and WhatsApp accounts following a landmark ruling by Justice Sanjeev Narula on March 12.
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DELHI: The Delhi High Court recently issued a significant order aimed at curbing fraudulent activities exploiting the trademark of global conglomerate IKEA. The ruling, which came in response to a case filed by IKEA, entails the takedown of websites, mobile applications, and WhatsApp accounts that have been utilized to deceive individuals.
The landmark decision, delivered by Justice Sanjeev Narula on March 12, targets the unauthorized use of the IKEA trademark by unknown entities, often referred to as John Doe or anonymous defendants. The court’s directive was clear and unequivocal:
“Defendants No. 1 and 2, and all persons acting on their behalf, are restrained from using the Plaintiff’s registered ‘IKEA’ trademarks and/ or their variations, as a part of their domain names, websites, mobile applications, social media handle names/ profiles credentials/ description, promotional/ business activities on digital or print media, bank accounts and/ or any business papers etc. in any manner, that would amount to infringement and passing off of Plaintiff’s registered ‘IKEA’ trademarks,”
-the Court ordered.
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The court’s decision emphasizes its dedication to protecting intellectual property and combating fraud by ordering the cessation of trademark misuse and seeking information about the perpetrators.
The proceedings commenced when IKEA petitioned the High Court, alleging the unauthorized exploitation of its brand name and trademark for fraudulent endeavors. IKEA underscored that individuals were being misled into investing substantial capital through a mobile application, website, and WhatsApp groups, falsely asserting an association with IKEA. These deceptive platforms deceitfully pledged extravagant returns, purporting up to 200% profit within a concise timeframe of 35 days.
The Court concluded that there was a prima facie case of trademark infringement, which not only harmed IKEA’s reputation but also misled the public at large. The interim order was thus passed to stays these deceptive practices immediately.
Advocates Tanya Varma, Aiswarya Debadarshini, Rohan Krishna Seth, and Srinivas Venkat spearheaded IKEA’s legal representation. On the opposing side, the Central Government’s interests were diligently advocated by Standing Counsel Nidhi Raman, alongside Advocates Zubin Singh and Rishav Dubey.
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