Rejection of a plaint under Order VII Rule 11 is strictly limited to reviewing the plaint's averments. Disputed questions of fact, such as res judicata, suppression of material facts, or the validity of foreign registrations, require a full-fledged trial and cannot be adjudicated summarily at the threshold.

JUDGMENT :

P.Velmurugan J.

1.Since the parties, issues involved, and questions of law arising in all these appeals are substantially interconnected, all the appeals are taken up together and are being disposed of by this common judgment.

2. These appeals have been filed by the appellant/plaintiff M/s.V.V.V &Sons Edible Oils Limited challenging the judgments and decrees passed in the connected suits, as well as the applications filed by the defendants whereby the plaints were rejected. The prayers in all these appeals are as follows:

"2.1. O.S.A.No.63 of 2019 – filed challenging the dismissal of C.S.No.726 of 2017, wherein the plaint seeking permanent injunction was rejected.

2.2. O.S.A. No.64 of 2019 – filed challenging the fair and decretal order passed in A.No.1948 of 2018, which resulted in the rejection of the plaint in C.S.No. 726 of 2017 by allowing A.No.1948 of 2018 under Order VII Rule 11 CPC.

2.3. O.S.A.No.23 of 2022 – filed challenging the judgment in C.S.No.434 of 2017, wherein the suit for injunction, accounts of profit, and damages was dismissed, and costs of Rs.1,00,000/- were imposed on the plaintiff.

2.4. O.S.A.No.139 of 2025 – filed challenging the order in C.S.No.987 of 2017, whereby the plaint seeking injunction and damages of Rs.10,00,000/- was rejected by allowing A.No.1705 of 2022.

2.5. O.S.A.No.140 of 2025 – filed challenging the judgment in C.S.No.235 of 2020, whereby the plaint seeking injunction and damages of Rs.10,00,000/- was rejected by allowing A.No.1706 of 2022."

3. The respondents herein are the defendants or applicants in the respective suits, and according to the plaintiff, their alleged roles are as follows:-

"3.1. In C.S.No.726 of 2017 (O.S.A.No.63 of 2019), the defendants are three in number:

M/s.Meenakshi Overseas LLC of USA, a foreign company that obtained registration of the mark Idhayam abroad and sells sesame oil in that market; M/s.Shivaraja Impex Company of Virudhunagar, the supplier and exporter of sesame oil from India to the USA; and M/s.Damodar Foods of Coimbatore, engaged in packing and exporting snacks and edible products to the USA.

3.2. In Application No.1948 of 2018 in C.S.No.726 of 2017 (O.S.A.No.64 of 2019), the sole respondent is M/s.Meenakshi Overseas LLC of USA, the foreign trademark holder and seller of sesame oil in the USA.

3.3. In C.S.No.434 of 2017 (O.S.A.(CAD)No.23 of 2022), the defendant is M/s.Damodar Foods of Coimbatore, an exporter of snacks to the USA.

3.4. In C.S.No.987 of 2017 (O.S.A.No.139 of 2025), the first defendant-M/s.Damodar Foods, is engaged in manufacturing, preparing, and exporting products by imitating the plaintiff’s product name and brand name Idhayam to the second defendant, M/s.RR Global Enterprises of USA.

3.5. In C.S.No.235 of 2020 (O.S.A.No.140 of 2025), the defendant is again M/s.Damodar Foods of Coimbatore, exporter of snacks to the USA."

4. In short, the appellant in all these appeals is the plaintiff, M/s.V.V.V & Sons Edible Oils Ltd, the manufacturer of sesame oil under the brand name "Idhayam". The respondents herein are the defendants/applicants in the respective suits, and for the sake of convenience they will hereinafter be referred to as:

4.1. M/s.Meenakshi Overseas LLC of USA “foreign trader”;

4.2. M/s.Shivaraja Impex Company of Virudhunagar “exporter”; and

4.3. M/s.Damodar Foods of Coimbatore “manufacturer/packer”;

4.4. M/s.R.R.Global Enterprises "importer/distributor"

5. Facts in C.S.No.726 of 2017 & A.No.1948 of 2018 (O.S.A.Nos.63 and 64 of 2019)

5.1. The appellant/plaintiff M/s.V.V.V & Sons Edible Oils Limited, a public limited company incorporated in India, is engaged in the manufacture and sale of sesame oil under the registered trade mark Idhayam. The plaintiff claims that the mark Idhayam has b