SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

2017 Supreme(Raj) 2368

IN THE HIGH COURT OF RAJASTHAN
Sangeet Lodha, J.
Neelkanth Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., Jodhpur and Ors. - Appellants
Vs.
Neelkanth Minechem Partnership Firm, Jodhpur - Respondent
S.B. Civil Revision No. 217 of 2017
Decided On : 10-11-2017

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellants : Manish Shishodia
For the Respondent: Ashok Soni

Headnote:

Trade Marks Act, 1999 - Sections 134& 135 - Rajasthan Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1961 - Section 26 – Injunction – Commercial – Jurisdiction - Counsel submitted that in respect of right to trade mark market value as assessed by plaintiff has to be accepted and profit claimed on basis of rendition of account cannot be valued at this stage and thus order impugned passed by court below rejecting application does not suffer from any error warranting interference by this Court – Held, Indisputably plaintiff has filed suit for injunction under Sections 134 and 135 of Act alleging infringement of registered trade mark and for passing off which as per provisions of Section 134 read with Section 135 of Act of cannot be instituted in any Court inferior to District Court having jurisdiction - It is true that dispute raised falls within definition of commercial dispute but there is nothing on record suggesting that specified value of subject-matter of commercial dispute in suit exceeds rupees one core – petition dismissed

ORDER :

Sangeet Lodha, J.

1. By way of this writ petition, the petitioners have questioned legality of order dated 23.9.17 passed by the Additional District Judge No. 4, Jodhpur Metropolitan City in Civil Suit No. 139/17, whereby an application preferred by the petitioners raising objection against the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit, stands rejected. The respondent-plaintiff has filed a suit under Sections 134 & 135 of Trade Marks Act, 1999 (for short "the Act of 1999") seeking injunction against the violation of the trade mark and passing off. The prayer is also made for rendition of account of profit and delivery of incriminating materials including packing material, carry bags, block, sticker etc.

2. During the pendency of the petition, the petitioners preferred an application raising objection against the jurisdiction of the court on the ground that the dispute as raised falls within the definition of 'commercial dispute' in terms of Section 2 of the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts Act, 2015 (for short "the Act of 2015") and therefore, being exclusively triable by the Commercial Court, cannot be entertained by the Civil Court.

3. The application stands rejected by the court below observing that in terms of the provisions of Section 134 of the Act of 1999, the suit with regard to infringement of registered trademark or for passing off is maintainable before the District Court having jurisdiction to try the suit and the value of the subject-matter of the suit being not beyond the specified value so as to bring it within the definition of 'commercial dispute', the same cannot be treated to be commercial dispute triable by the Commercial Court.

4. Learned counsel appearing for the petitioners contended that from bare perusal of the plaint, it is discernible that the suit as framed involves a commercial dispute which can only be entertained by the Commercial Court having jurisdiction. It is submitted that the Act of 2015 is special Act, which has over riding effect over all enactments including the Act of 1999, and therefore, the suit preferred with the prayer relating to plaintiff's exclusive rights to the trade marks and profits, which taking into consideration the volume of business certainly exceeds the specified value of one crore, deserves to be rejected for want of jurisdiction.

5. On the other hand, learned counsel appearing for the respondent contended that the suit relating to the exclusive rights to the registered trade mark and passing off falls within the definition of 'commercial dispute' in terms of provisions of Section 2 (1) (c) (xvii) of the Act of 2015, but by virtue of provisions of Section 6 of the Act of 2015, the Commercial Court has jurisdiction to try all suits and applications relating to commercial dispute of specified value, which as per provisions of Section 2 (1) (i) shall not be less than one crore rupees or such higher value as notified by the Central Government. Learned counsel submitted that in respect of the right to trade mark, the market value as assessed by the plaintiff has to be accepted and the profit claimed on the basis of the rendition of account cannot be valued at this stage and thus, the order impugned passed by the court below rejecting the application does not suffer from any error warranting interference by this Court.

6. I have considered the rival submissions and perused the material on record.

7. Indisputably, the plaintiff has filed the suit for injunction under Sections 134 and 135 of the Act of 1999 alleging infringement of registered trade mark and for passing off, which as per the provisions of Section 134 read with Section 135 of the Act of 1999 cannot be instituted in any Court inferior to District Court having jurisdiction. It is true that the dispute raised falls within the definition of 'commercial dispute', but there is nothing on record suggesting that the specified value of the subject-matter of the



Click Here to Read the rest of this document

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top