7 months ago
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In a important trademark extortion ruling, the Bombay High Court has restrained a radical of cab operators from utilizing the ‘Jio’ trademark owned by Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) for taxi services offered nether the domain sanction www.jiocabs.com.
The interim bid was passed by Justice Somasekhar Sundaresan connected October 7, 2025, successful effect to a suit filed by RIL alleging trademark infringement and passing off.
“The continued usage of a well-known and protected marque sanction would so origin sedate injury,” Justice Sundaresan observed, portion granting ad-interim alleviation successful favour of the conglomerate. He noted that RIL had made retired a beardown prima facie lawsuit for urgent intervention, particularly fixed the defendants’ behaviour and the deceptive similarity of the impugned marks to RIL’s registered trademarks.
The tribunal was informed that the defendants, Asif Ahmed (registrant of the domain), Usman (proprietor of Doon Taxi Service), and P.D.R. Solutions LLC (domain registrar), were operating taxi services successful Dehradun and Delhi nether the sanction “Jiocabs”, and had utilized logos and artwork intimately resembling RIL’s archetypal creator works. The website besides listed Mumbai arsenic a work location.
Justice Sundaresan noted that though the defendants had changed their concern sanction pursuing ineligible notice, the domain www.jiocabs.com remained active. “Even the equilibrium of convenience would beryllium successful favour of assistance of the ad-interim relief,” helium said.
The court’s bid restrains the defendants and immoderate associated entities from utilizing the ‘Jio’ name, mark, oregon immoderate deceptively akin artwork successful transportation with taxi services oregon immoderate different goods oregon services.
The extortion extends to RIL’s trademarks registered nether aggregate classes, including Class 9 (digital goods), Class 38 (telecommunications), and Class 39 (transport and question services).
The justice besides referenced a erstwhile 2021 bid of the Bombay High Court which had recognised ‘Jio’ arsenic a well-known trademark, with RIL holding 14 abstracted registrations and facing misuse crossed astatine slightest 11 domain names.
The substance is scheduled for further proceeding connected November 28, 2025. The defendants person been fixed 4 weeks to record their reply.
