Two persons have been directed to pay ₹1 lakh as damages to US-based jeans manufacturing brand Levi Strauss by a Delhi court for trademark infringement and selling identical products using its name and logo.
Additional District Judge Anil Antil directed defendants Sanjay Kumar and Dinesh Mahto, who were running their business in Delhi and Bihar, to pay the damages for using a “deceptively similar” trademark to the US firm.
Similar trademark
“The impugned trademark/label adopted and being used by defendants in relation to their impugned goods and business are identical, deceptively similar to the plaintiff’s label, in each and every respect including phonetically, visually and structurally,” the judge noted. “The suit is decreed in favour of the plaintiff (Levi) and against defendants... with punitive and compensatory damages for a sum of ₹50,000 each,” the court said.
The order came on a suit filed by Levi Strauss, based in San Francisco, alleging that the defendant was selling jeans, apparel, sports wear other goods under its trademark.
The suit filed by the jeans company alleged that the defendants adopted and started using its trademark/label.
It said that the duo was indulging in counterfeiting the impugned goods, which is in complete violation of plaintiff’s statutory and common right in the said label/trade name.
