High Court Of Delhi
MITASO APPLIANCES LIMITED - Appellant
Versus
MEHTA ZINABHAI BHIMJI BHAI - Respondent
Interim Application 4624 of 1993
Decided On : 10/01/1995
Order 39 Rule 1 & 2 — Application seeking injunction to restraint the defendants from using the trade mark "MITASO" or any other trade mark identical or deceptively similar — The plaintiff being the registered owner of the trade mark and also its prior user-Violation of exclusive statutory right of the plaintiff — The plaintiff is entitled to interim injunction.
Order 39 Rule 1 & 2 — lnfringement of registered Trade Mark-Proof of damage for use of trade mark by the defendant is not necessary at the stage of grant of interim injunction.
Copy Right Act - Section 62 — Territorial jurisdiction of the Court-Suit for infringement of trade mark as well as copy right — The suit for infringement of copy right is maintainable at a place where the plaintiff resides or carries on business, is maintainable.
Trade Mark - Infringement of — Proof of damage for use of trade mark by the defendant is not necessary at the stage of grant of interim injunction.
Infringement of — Application seeking injunction to restraint the defendants from using the trade mark "MITASO" or any other trade mark identical or deceptively similar — The plaintiff being the registered owner of the trade. mark and also its prior user — Violation of exclusive statutory right of the plaintiff — The plaintiff is entitled to interim injunction.
( 1 ) THE plaintiff claiming itself to be the registered proprietor of the trade mark "mitaso under No. 404136 in respect of installations for heating, steam generating, cooking, including LPG gas stoves, geysers and electrical household equipments, fans, hot plates, toasters, etc. and parts and fittings thereof, has filed this suit for an injunction restraining the defendants from manufacturing, selling or otherwise dealing with goods item and all other goods under the trade mark "mitaso" or any other trade mark identical and/or deceptively similar to the plaintiff s trade mark "mitaso", which may amount to infringment of the aforesaid trade mark No. 404136.
( 2 ). The case of the plaintiff in short is that it being the proprietor of the registered trade mark "mitaso" and its being first adopter, originator and true owner, is entitled to its exclusive use. It is stated that the plaintiff has given wide publicity to its trade mark "mitaso" and its goods under the aforesaid trade mark connotes and denotes the goods and merchandise of the plaintiff and none else and that its sales are run in several lakhs of rupees. It is further stated that on account of superior quality coupled with advertisement of the goods and due to continuous use of the trade mark "mitaso" since 1982, the said trade mark has acquired unique reputation in public and trade and the goods in the aforesaid trade mark are exclusively associated with the plaintiff. It is also alleged that the defendant has recently started manufacturing electronic gas lighter under the identical and/or deceptively similar trade mark "mitaso" represented in the similar manner as that of the plaintiff and the same is stated to be in clear and flagrant violation of the legal and vested rights of the plaintiff in established trade mark "mitaso" and the trade name MITASO Appliances Limited and is alleged to have deliberately, dishonestly and in malafide intentions adopted the trade mark "mitaso" with similar get up and design only to trade upon the plaintiff s reputation and to gain profits in an illegal manner. The gas lighter is used to light the LPG gas stove and in case the defendant is allowed to sell its products under the name "mitaso" with similar get up, the public at large and the people in the trade are bound to be deceived. It is alleged that the public and the trade will be bonafide believing that the said lighter being marketed by the defendant is a product of the plaintiff and not that of the defendant. It is also alleged that the goods of the defendant as well as that of the plaintiff are of the same nature and/or cognate and/or allied and are being sold at the same counters to the same class of purchasers and confusion and deception is inevitable by the use of the trade mark "mitaso" by the defendant. Defendant has also been alleged to be guilty of passing off inferior and sub-standard goods as that of the plaintiff. The plaintiff has also claimed copyright in the word and trade mark "mitaso" and has sought an injunction against the defendants restraining them from counter-feiting labels, cartons, dies, etc. or infringing the copyright of the plaintiff.
( 3 ). Alongwith the suit an application under Order 39 Rule 1 and 2 for temporary injunction was also filed and by this order I intend to dispose of the said application for an interim relief.
( 4 ). The defendants in the written statement, besides challenging the jurisdiction of this COurt to decide the suit on the ground that no part of cause of action has arisen in Delhi, has also stated that the registration of the trade mark "mitaso" in the name of the plaintiff is not legal and regular and the same is liable to be rectified under the provisions of law. The art work involved in the get up, make up and lettering style is also not stated to be original in character and is otherwise common to the trade. It is also stated that the plaintiff all along knew that the defendant is using the trade mark
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