A group of aspiring rappers got a massive slap in the face when the Delhi High Court issued a permanent injunction against their “Satta Dream 11” music festival in a trademark infringement suit filed by a rival group, “Dream 11.”
The “Satta Dream 11” music festival was scheduled to be organized at the New Delhi Coliseum on Nov. 2 and 3. However, less than two weeks before its event, nearly 100 members of the rival group filed a police complaint alleging that the organizers of “Satta Dream 11” were trying to deceive the public by branding their musical extravaganza as an independently organized event when it is a copycat of their event.
This case highlights the importance of trademark rights and how essential it is for entrepreneurs to take proactive steps to protect their intellectual property. Even if an opponent does not intend to harm your business, filing a trademark violation can help you build credibility and track down infringers before they cause any damage.
How it all started? – The Delhi High Court has banned ‘Satta Dream 11’ with an order saying it is a ‘violation of the trademark.’ The financial software company, which had registered the name in 2008, was Nagarjuna Finance Ltd’s (NF) opponent in a trademark infringement suit filed by NF in 2015.
What do you think of “Satta Dream 11”? Is it catchy or just plain strange? It’s a good name for a cricket event.
Wrong. According to Delhi High Court, the trademark owned by the organizing committee of the recently held “Satta Dream 11” tournament is being infringed upon. The tournament was officially inaugurated on Sunday but had to be canceled after trademark violation allegations surfaced.
In 2015, an event called “Satta Dream 10” was held in Mumbai with a similar name. This event led to litigation proceedings between the organizer and another party. The Bombay High Court granted an injunction against the use of the mark by the organizers of “Satta Dream 10”. However, this time round, the organizers have yet to heed the warning and are going ahead with their planned tournament with the same-sounding name.
What was the verdict of the Delhi High Court?
The “Satta Dream 11” is a promotion sponsored by the Delhi High Court. The rise offers lottery tickets for Rs. 11 each, with a guaranteed chance of winning up to 20 million rupees. The “Satta Dream 11” trademark belongs to a company called “Dream 11.” The company claims that the name is registered and protected under Indian law.
In this case, courts have ruled in favor of Dream 11. This ruling ensures that people cannot buy tickets labeled “Satta Dream 11” from now on. It is important to remember that trademarks should be protected carefully to maintain legal rights and protect shareholder interests.
The court’s order came while hearing a PIL filed by NF alleging that Nagarjuna Finance Ltd had registered and used the intellectual property rights of Dream 11 without any authorization or license. NF further accused Nagarjuna of fraudulently lending its name to a software course plotter that promises to make dreams come true.
According to the court, the plaintiffs were able to establish that they were the registered owners of the “Dream11 Marks,” and the defendant’s domain name, www.deam11.bet, was confusingly similar to the plaintiffs’ and was used to capitalize on their goodwill and reputation. The domain name www.dream11.bet was an obvious instance of trademark infringement and amounted to misrepresenting the defendant’s services as those of the plaintiffs. The defendant not only planned to unfairly exploit the plaintiffs’ trademarks and capitalize on their brand recognition but also to mislead consumers into believing that they were affiliated with the plaintiffs. As a result, the Court awarded Dream11 a permanent injunction and ordered the defendant to refrain from using the mark “Dream11” or any confusingly similar version as a trademark, trade name, or domain name, as doing so would constitute trademark infringement and/or passing off on the part of the plaintiff.
Conclusion
Many trademark infringement cases go unnoticed or unreported. As a result, people harm their brands unknowingly by conducting improper business practices or using infringing marks. You need to take steps to protect your brand and intellectual property to avoid stepping in and grabbing the market space that is rightfully yours.
To avoid this confusion with your brand, always seek expert advice. Get efficient and effective IP solutions from the professionals available at Brealant TM. The company strives to help its client go through all the intellectual property processes, whether it is applying for a trademark or safeguarding the originality of an idea. Visit the website and learn more about the services catered by the company.
