IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
C. HARI SHANKAR, J.
KENT RO SYSTEMS LIMITED – Plaintiff
Versus
BAJRANG IMPEX PRIVATE LIMITED – Defendant
C.S. (COMM) No. 517 of 2022
Decided On : 20-01-2023
Interim injunction – Suit alleges infringement – Learned Counsel for the defendant, submits, at the very outset, on instructions, that defendant is willing to suffer a decree in terms of prayers (a), (b) and (c) in Para 41 of plaint – Held, Holding that there was a prima facie case of infringement and passing off, on part of defendant, made out by plaintiff, Court, vide order while issuing summons in suit also granted ex-parte ad interim injunction against defendant from using impugned design or impugned logo – Though, learned Counsel for defendant, submits that his client is not accepting allegations in plaint, defendant does not oppose to plaint being decreed in terms of prayers (a) to (c) thereof, already reproduced hereinabove, as litigating would be an impracticable exercise – In view thereof, and in view of statement made by learned Counsel for plaintiff, suit stands decreed in terms of prayers (a) to (c) in Para 41 of plaint already reproduced hereinabove – Ordered Accordingly.
ORDER :
1. Mr. Rahul Vidhani, learned Counsel for the defendant, submits, at the very outset, on instructions, that the defendant is willing to suffer a decree in terms of prayers (a), (b) and (c) in Para 41 of the plaint, which reads thus:
(a) A decree for permanent injunction restraining the Defendants, their distributors, dealers, stockists, retailers, servants, agents and all others acting for and on their behalf from manufacturing, selling, importing, offering for sale, advertising and directly or indirectly dealing in any goods/products which are identical or similar or are an imitation or a substantial reproduction of the Plaintiffs Registered Design No. 312406 dated 26.11.2018 amounting to infringement/piracy under the Designs Act.
(b) A decree for permanent injunction restraining the Defendants, their distributors, dealers, stockists, retailers, servants, agents and all others acting for and on their behalf from manufacturing, selling, importing, offering for sale, advertising and directly or indirectly dealing in identical and/or cognate products/services, or otherwise, under the mark AQUA GRAND + AQUA GRAND SMART or any other trade mark/trade name or logo/device, which is identical to and/or deceptively similar to the Plaintiffs’ well-known mark KENT GRAND+amounting to passing off of their goods as the products of the Plaintiffs.
(c) A decree for permanent injunction restraining the Defendants, their distributors, dealers, stockists, retailers, servants, agents and all others acting for and on their behalf from manufacturing, selling, importing, offering for sale, advertising and directly or indirectly dealing in any goods/products which are identical or similar or are an imitation or a substantial reproduction of the Plaintiffs Registered copyright amounting to infringement of the Plaintiffs statutory rights.”
2. Mr. Deepanshu Nagar, learned Counsel for the plaintiff, prays that, in the circumstances, the suit may be decreed in the aforesaid terms and that his client would not be pressing for costs and damages.
3. The plaint in the suit alleges infringement, by the defendant, of Design No. 312406 held by the plaintiff in respect of water purifiers, as well as passing off, by the defendant, of their products as the products of the plaintiff.
4. The plaintiff is engaged in the business of manufacture and sale of water purifiers. The plaint alleges that, in July 2022, the plaintiff came across cabinets having a design similar to the plaintiff’s water purifiers, in which the plaintiff was proprietor of registered Design no. 312406.
5. The plaint also avers that the plaintiff was aggrieved by the use, by the defendant, of a logo and name similar to that of the plaintiff. For the said purpose, a comparative depiction of the plaintiff’s and the defendant’s products, and of their respective logos, are provided in Paras 22 and 27 of the plaint thus:
| Registered Design of Plaintiff | Plaintiff's Product as per Registered Design | Defendant's Product |
| Design No. 312406, Dated 26.11.2018 | [KENT GRAND + (NEW)] | [NEW AQUA GRAND SMART] |
| IMAGE | IMAGE | IMAGE |
xxx xxx xxx
| Plaintiff’s logo | Defendant's logo |
| IMAGE | IMAGE |
6. Holding that there was a prima facie case of infringement and passing off, on the part of the defendant, made out by the plaintiff, this Court, vide order dated 29th July 2022, while issuing summons in the suit also granted ex-parte ad interim injunction against the defendant from using the impugned design or the impugned logo.
7. Though Mr. Vidhani, learned Counsel for the defendant, submits that his client is not accepting the allegations in the plaint, the defendant does not oppose to the plaint being decreed in terms of prayers (a) to (c) thereof, already repr
Point of Law - After grant of ex parte injunction order, Defendants claim to have not manufactured toy scooters due to injunction order.
The lawsuit became infructuous due to the lapse of the design registration, which nullified the basis for seeking a permanent injunction.
Temporary injunction denied as plaintiffs failed to establish prima facie case due to admitted similarities in designs and functionality claims, violating provisions of the Designs Act.
Recognition of exclusive proprietary rights in designs and prohibition of imitation, settlement as a basis for decreeing the suit, and foregone claim for damages and account of profit.
The central legal point established in the judgment is the application of Sec. 22 of the Design Act, which prohibits the sale of products with a design without the consent of the registered proprieto....
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