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1997 Supreme(Bom) 160

IN THE HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY
R.M. Lodha, J.
Arun Digamber Varangaonkar ..... Plaintiff.
Versus
M/s. Kharpe Gruh Udyog others ...... Defendants.
Chamber Summons No. 960 of 1996 in Suit No. 3718 of 1993, decided on 2-4-1997.
Advocates appeared :
Daruwalas, for the plaintiff.
H.W. Kane, for the applicants/defendants.

Headnote:Section 62 and Letters Patent. Clause 12-infringement of Trade-mark-Manufacturer sues another manufacturer-Grant of leave ex party under Clause 12 of letter patent for trial at Bombay-Residence of defendant at Amganti to avoid ,unnecessary expenses-Amravati is suitable place for both-Grant of leave revoked.-It transpires that plaintiff mainly resides at Amravati and he carries on business also at Amravati. The goods are also manufactured by plaintiff at Amravati. The defendants reside at Amravati and they also manufacture the goods concerning the disputed trade-mark and the device at Amravati. Sub-section (2) of Section 62 of the copyright provides that the suit in respect of the infringement of the copyright or any right conferred under the Copyright Act shall be instituted in the district Court within local limits of whose jurisdiction the person instituting the suit actually and voluntarily resides or carries business or presently works for gain. In applying the doctrine of forum convenience the Court may consider place of residence or business of the parties, the place where transactions took place the volume of evidence and convenience or inconvenience of producing it at a particular forum expenses of trial and such other relevant considerations.

       Held, the trial at Amravati shall save the parties from unnecessary expenses and therefore, balance of convenience definitely would be if the suit is tried at Amravati.

       Section 62-Letters Patent (Bombay) Clause 12-Sult Is not for land or immoveable property Clause 12 has no application-Suit for Infringement of copyright-Shall be instituted In District Court where person Instituting suit actually and voluntarily resides or carries on business-Doctrine of convenience-Place of residence-Business of the parties place where transaction took place are relevant considerations-Chambers summon allowed.

       Clause 12-See The Copyright Act, 1957, Section 62.

JUDGMENT - R.M. LODHA, J. :---The defendants by this chamber summons pray for revocation of leave granted ex parte under Clause 12 of the Letters Patent.

2.Arun Digamber Varangaonkar, the plaintiff has filed the suit before this Court on Original Side against the defendants praying therein that defendants by themselves, their servants, agents, stockists and distributors be restrained by perpetual injunction from using the house-cum-trade mark being the device of a crude house-cum-roof top or any other mark which is deceptively similar to the trade mark of the plaintiff being the device of a triangular roof top with chimney of the plaintiff in relation to defendants' masala product and spices preparation so as to pass off and/or likely to pass off and/or enable others to pass off the said preparation as and for the preparation of the plaintiff bearing their trademark GHARKUL and device mark aforesaid. The plaintiff also prays that defendants be restrained by perpetual injunction from using the label or package being Exhibit O and P annexed to the plaint which is deceptively similar to and/or a colourable imitation of the package/carton/label of plaintiff being Exhibit L and M annexed to the plaint so as to pass off and/or likely to pass off and/or enable to pass off defendants preparations as advertisement for the preparation of plaintiff. The plaintiff has also sought perpetual injunction against the defendants from publishing, printing and causing to be printed and/or using whether in relation to goods or not the infringed piratical work as depicted in Exhibit O and P annexed to the plaint and thereby infringing or causing to be infringed the original artistic work of plaintiff and thereby committing an infringement of the copy right of the plaintiffs' said original artistic work. A decree of Rs. 2 lacs is also prayed by the plaintiff against the defendants by way of damages for the use of the impugned trademark and device of the label, carton and package complained.

3.In the plaint the plaintiff has averred that he carries business as sole proprietor in the name and style of M/s. Gharkul Utpadane at Badnera Road, Amravati. He resides at Amravati and also resides at 101-A, Garden View, Borivali (East), Bombay. The plaintiff manufactures and markets spices, masalas and condiment powders meant for cooking purposes for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes and pickles. These preparations are sold in Maharashtra including Bombay and in other States of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. According to plaintiff the defendants carry on business inter alia of manufacturing and marketing spices, masalas and condiment powders used for cooking purposes and the defendants' said preparations are sold in Amravati and also at Bombay. The plaintiff avers in the plaint that with effect from 12th August 86 the firm's preparations such as mutton-masala and various kinds of similar food preparations under the trade mark GHARKUL and GHARKUL UTPADANE were placed in the market and the words GHARKUL and GHARKUL UTPADANE in the Roman script as also the word GHARKUL in Devnagri script were and are used as trademark for the said preparations of the plaintiff. It is the case of the plaintiff that in combination with the words Gharkul and Gharkul Utpadane uses and original artistic work which is a distinctively triangular shaped device of house-cum-roof top with chimney which original artistic work-cum trade mark has been used by the plaintiff and his predecessor in title since 12th August 1986. The plaintiff states in the plaint that the triangular device depicting a house top with chimney with the words Gharkul Utpadane rendered in the roman script and in the Devnagri script appears on all preparations of the plaintiffs or on all packages, cartons, letterheads and visiting cards of the plaintiff. According to plaintiff the word mark 'Gharkul' and 'Gharkul Utpadane' and the distinctive devices are trade marks which belong to














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