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

2022 Supreme(Telangana) 45

IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD
SATISH CHANDRA SHARMA, ABHINAND KUMAR SHAVILI, JJ.
M. K. Rao Family Trust – Appellant
Versus
Zippy Edible Products Pvt.Ltd. – Respondent
Civil Revision Petition No.632 of 2020
Decided on : 21-03-2022

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant : V.M.M. CHARY
For the Respondent: G.M. MOHIUDDIN

Headnote:

Trade Marks Act - Civil Procedure - Sections 27, 28, 29, 134, 142 - The court analyzed the statutory provisions governing the field, including Sections 27, 28, 29, 134, and 142 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999, and their interpretations. The court found that the suit filed by the respondents/defendants under Section 142 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999 alleging groundless threats and the suit, i.e., C.O.S.No.34 of 2019, which is the subject matter of the present revision petition, is certainly a subsequent suit. The reliefs sought by the respondents/defendants under Section 142 of the Trade Marks Act are different and distinct from the reliefs prayed by the petitioners/plaintiffs in the present suit. The court held that the proceedings for infringement of the trade mark cannot be stayed as was done by the Court below.

Fact of the Case:

The petitioners/plaintiffs filed a suit alleging infringement of trade mark 'BAMBINO' and sought various reliefs. The respondents/defendants filed a suit under Section 142 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999 alleging groundless threats. The Court analyzed the statutory provisions and found that the suits were different and distinct.

Finding of the Court:

The Court found that the suit filed by the respondents/defendants under Section 142 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999 and the suit, i.e., C.O.S.No.34 of 2019, which is the subject matter of the present revision petition, is certainly a subsequent suit. The reliefs sought by the respondents/defendants under Section 142 of the Trade Marks Act are different and distinct from the reliefs prayed by the petitioners/plaintiffs in the present suit.

Issues: The main issue was whether the proceedings for infringement of the trade mark can be stayed during the pendency of a suit under Section 142 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999.

Ratio Decidendi: The Court held that the proceedings for infringement of the trade mark cannot be stayed as was done by the Court below. The court found that the suits were different and distinct, and the reliefs sought by the respondents/defendants under Section 142 of the Trade Marks Act were different from the reliefs prayed by the petitioners/plaintiffs in the present suit.

Final Decision: The Civil Revision Petition was allowed, and the order staying the suit filed by the petitioners/plaintiffs was set aside.

ORDER :

SATISH CHANDRA SHARMA, J.

The present civil revision petition is arising out of an order, dated 05.12.2019 passed in I.A.No.617 of 2019 in C.O.S.No.34 of 2019 by the Court of the XXIV Additional Chief Judge-cum-Commercial Court, City Civil Court, at Hyderabad.

2. The facts of the case reveal that the petitioners/plaintiffs have filed a suit, i.e., O.S.No.34 of 2019 before the Court of the Special Judge, Commercial Court, City Civil Court, Hyderabad, under Order VII Rules 1 and 2, Section 26 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (CPC) read with Sections 27, 28, 29 and 134 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999, Section 62 of the Copyright Act, 1957 and Section 88 of the Indian Trusts Act, 1882. The petitioner No.1/plaintiff No.1 is a Trust, incorporated under the Indian Trust Act, 1882 and the registered proprietor of the trade mark ‘BAMBINO’, which is the subject matter of the suit and the petitioner No.2/plaintiff No.2 is the permitted user of the trade mark and it is a company registered under the Companies Act. The petitioner No.1/plaintiff No.1 is a Private Trust and Sri M.K.Rao is the Managing Trustee of the Trust. Sri M.K.Rao conceived an idea of manufacturing and introducing vermicelli and pasta in India in the year 1982 and the word ‘BAMBINO’ as trade mark in respect of vermicelli and pasta. The petitioner No.2/plaintiff No.2 is the manufacturer of vermicelli and pasta. The petitioner No.1/plaintiff No.1 has obtained registration of trade mark ‘BAMBINO’ under No.477151 and composite label marks under Nos.461543, 844424, 844425, 844427, 844428, 844429, 989893, 1028832, 1909811, 1909812, 2004197, 2091673, 2196754, 2196755, 2324258, 2324260, 2456648, 2456649, 2456650, 2456651, 2456652, 2595621, 2595622, 2637861, 2637863, 2737919, 2352979, 2737921, 2764974, 2938242, 2965908, 3055081, 3055083, 3055084, 3055085, 3449824, 3449825, 3449826, 3449827, 3471289, 3471290, 3662224, 3669442, 3669444, 3669445, 3834428, 3889966, 3889967, 3889968, 2352980, 2352981, 2456647 in classes 30, 29 and 3 under the Trade Marks Act, 1999 and the registrations having been renewed from time to time are subsisting. It is stated that the plaintiffs being the prior adopters, users of the trade mark ‘BAMBINO’ and originators of the artistic works contained in their label marks/pouches, enjoy copyright therein.

3. The facts further reveal that the petitioner No.1/plaintiff No.1 has executed a formal ‘registered user’ agreement, dated 12.08.1999 in favour of the petitioner No.2/plaintiff No.2 in accordance with the provisions of the Trade Marks Act, 1999 and the petitioner No.2/plaintiff No.2 being the permitted user has been paying the royalty to the petitioner No.1/plaintiff No.1. The facts further reveal that the petitioner No.1/plaintiff No.1, in whose favour there is a registration of the trade mark, is doing the business under the trade mark ‘BAMBINO’ for the last four decades and in the month of November, 2018, it came to the notice of the petitioners/plaintiffs that the respondents/defendants have started using the trade mark ‘BERLINO’ for the vermicelli, soan papdi, mushroom soup and mixed vegetable soup, which is almost like that of ‘BAMBINO’ and therefore, issued a ‘cease and desist notice’ to the respondents/defendants on 24.11.2018. The respondents did submit a reply on 26.12.2018 accepting that they are manufacturing vermicelli, pasta, soups and soan papdi under the trademark ‘BERLINO’ for their customers. A rejoinder to the reply was also served on the respondents/defendants on 11.01.2019 informing them to comply the requirement of the notice sent on 24.11.2018. The respondents/defendants, instead of desisting from using the trade mark, have filed a suit, i.e., Civil Suit No.1 of 2019 before the learned District Judge, Uddam Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand for alleged groundless threats under Section 142 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999 and the same is pending for adjudication.

4. The facts further reveal that the respondent No.2/defendant No.2 has also made

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
whatsapp-icon Back to top