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2020 DIGILAW 2012 (MAD)

Wipro Enterprises Limited v. Kerala Khadi & Village Industries

2020-10-29

C.V.KARTHIKEYAN

body2020
JUDGMENT : (Prayer: This Civil Suit is filed under Order IV Rule 1 of Original Side Rules read with Order VII Rule 1 of CPC., read with Sections 27(2), 29, 134 and 135 of Trade Marks Act, 1999 praying for the following reliefs: (a) for a permanent injunction restraining the defendants, by itself, its servants, agents, distributors or anyone claiming through them from manufacturing, selling, advertising and offering for sale using the registered Trade Mark CHANDRIKA upon soaps or toiletry preparations or any goods or in any media and use the same in invoices letter heads and visiting cards or by using any other trade mark with prefix or suffix with the expression CHANDRIKA or any other similar sounding expression which is in any way visually, phonetically or deceptively similar to the plaintiffs Registered Trademark Nos: 304121, 210561, 210560, 395616, 503956, 503957, 359925, 454994, 1615601, 1576992 soaps; (b) granting a permanent injunction, restraining the defendants by themselves, their servants, agents, men, or anyone claiming through them from manufacturing, marketing, distributing, offering or advertising for sale soaps or any toiletry preparations of all kinds using the Trademark CHANDRIKA in the course of their business and pass of their soaps of all kinds and toiletry preparations using the plaintiffs Trademark CHANDRIKA or enable others to pass off by using deceptive marks; (c) directing the defendants to surrender to the plaintiffs all the soaps, packing materials, cartons, advertisement materials and hoardings, letterheads, visiting cards, office stationery and all other materials containing/bearing the Trademark CHANDRIKA and other deceptively similar Trademarks in respect of soaps; (d) for a preliminary decree in favour of the plaintiffs, directing the defendants to render an account of profits made by them by the use of the Trademark CHANDRIKA on the goods referred and for a final decree in favour of the plaintiff for the amount of the profits found to have been made by the defendants, after the defendants have rendered accounts; and (e) directing the defendants to pay to the plaintiffs the costs to the suit.) 1. The suit had been filed taking advantage of Sections 27(2), 29, 134 and 135 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999 read with relevant provisions of the Original Side Rules and the Code of Civil Procedure seeking a Judgment and Decree against the defendants for permanent injunction restraining them from manufacturing, selling, advertising or offering for sale their products of soaps and toiletry provisions under the Registered Trade Mark CHANDRIKA and also from passing off their products as if they are the products of the plaintiffs and for consequential reliefs of surrendering to the plaintiffs all materials under the name CHANDRIKA and for preliminary decree for accounts and for costs of the suit. 2. The first plaintiff Wipro Enterprises Limited is a Company incorporated under the Companies Act 1956 carrying on business for almost 60 years in manufacture and sale of a wide range of retail consumer products including talc, toilet soaps, hair care soaps, baby care products, face wash, fairness creams and lighting products. They marketed their soaps and other products under the Trade mark CHANDRIKA. 3. The second plaintiff Wipro Chandrika Limited is also a company incorporated under the provisions of the Companies Act 1956 and is a subsidiary of the first plaintiff. The second plaintiff has the following registrations with respect to the Trademark Application Number Trade Mark Class Status 1033046 CHANDRIKA sandal soap 3 Registered 365028 CHANDRIKA 3 Registered 359925 CHANDRIKA Ayurvedic Soap Carton 3 Registered 304121 CHANDRIKA Toilet Soap Carton 3 Registered 454994 CHANDRIKA 3 Registered 210561 CHANDRIKA Ayurvedic Soap Carton 3 Registered 210560 CHANDRIKA Ayurvedic Soap Carton 3 Registered 4. The second plaintiff has also obtained the following registration: Application Number Trade Mark Class Status 1615601 CHANDRIKA FOREVER 3,5 REGD 1576992 CHANDRIKA 5 REGD 5. The plaintiffs have had a turn over of Rs. 505.246 Millions in the financial year 2010-2011 and had also spent a sum of Rs.155.41 Million towards advertisements expenses in the financial year 2010-2011. The registration of the plaintiffs and their packaging is given below: 6. The defendants have used the plaintiffs Trademark CHANDRIKA for their own product, namely, soaps. The defendants have marketed their products in the packaging as shown below: 7. Claiming that the Trademark of the plaintiffs have been directly infringed and that the defendants are also passing off their products as if they are the products of the plaintiffs, the suit had been filed. 8. The defendants have marketed their products in the packaging as shown below: 7. Claiming that the Trademark of the plaintiffs have been directly infringed and that the defendants are also passing off their products as if they are the products of the plaintiffs, the suit had been filed. 8. The suit summon was issued to the defendants and service was completed on 24.01.2017. The defendants did not appear. They were set ex-parte on 16.08.2019. The plaintiffs were then called upon to adduce oral and documentary evidence. The plaintiffs examined as PW-1 S. Raghavan and marked Exs. P-1 to P-19. These documents included the deeds of assignment of the Trademark in favour of the plaintiffs and also the copies of the registration certificates of the plaintiffs' Trademark. Since copies of the documents were alone marked, the plaintiffs were directed to produce the legal usage certificates. On permission being granted by the Court, the plaintiffs examined as PW.2, V.G.T.Raj. Through the said witness Exs. P-20 and P-22 were marked. Ex.P-20 (series) were the certified copy of the legal use certificates of the entries in the Register of Trademarks relating to the Trademark Nos. 359925 and 304121 in class -3 and Ex. P21 (series) were the certified copies of the legal use certificates of the entries in the Register of Trademarks relating to Trademark No. 1576992 in class -5 and Ex.P22 (series) were the certified copies of the legal use certificates of the entries in the Register of Trademarks relating to Trademark No. 1615601. 9. Heard Ms. Gladys Daniel, learned counsel for the plaintiffs. 10. The learned counsel for the plaintiffs pointed out that the plaintiffs have established registration of the Trademark CHANDRIKA and I have also produced as documents the certified copies of the entries into the Register of Trademarks relating to the Trademark Nos. 359925 and 304121 in class -3 and Trademark No. 1576992 in class -5 and Trademark No. 1615601 in class-99. The learned counsel further stated that the defendants have been in the similar kind of business trading in bar soaps under the very same name CHANDRIKA which name has been registered in the name of the plaintiffs. 11. The learned counsel also pointed out the turn over of the plaintiffs and the promotional expenses incurred and stated that the defendants have deliberately encroached on the reputation and goodwill built up by the plaintiffs. 12. 11. The learned counsel also pointed out the turn over of the plaintiffs and the promotional expenses incurred and stated that the defendants have deliberately encroached on the reputation and goodwill built up by the plaintiffs. 12. It is also seen from the records that interim injunction was granted and thereafter notice was also directed on the defendants. The suit summon was also directed to be served on the defendants. The service was completed on 24.01.2017. The defendants did not appear before the Court. They had been set ex-parte on 16.08.2019. They are not interested in participating in the judicial proceedings. 13. In view of the overwhelming oral and documentary evidence to prove registration of the Trademark CHANDRIKA and to prove the usage of the plaintiffs of the Trademark CHANDRIKA, I hold that the defendants, who are in a similar line of business cannot be permitted to infringe the registered Trademark of the plaintiff by marketing their soaps under the name CHANDRIKA. I hold that the suit will naturally have to be decreed as prayed for with costs. 14. Accordingly, the suit is decreed as prayed for, with costs. 15. The plaintiffs are entitled for costs of the suit in accordance with the amended Section 35 of the Code of Civil Procedure. 16. The Registry is delegated and directed by this Court to determine the costs and the plaintiffs are permitted to file their Bill of Costs relating to (1) fees and expenses of the witnesses; (2) legal fees and expenses; and (3) any other expenses incurred in connection with the proceedings. 17. On the filing of the Bill of Costs, the Registry may determine the quantum of the costs. 18. In the result, the suit is decreed as prayed for, with costs.