Dindigul Thalappakatti has won a lawsuit filed against a local restaurant in Trivandrum at the Madras High Court for using trademarked names “THALAPPAKATTI BIRIYANI HOTEL” and “THALAPAKATTI”.
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Also read: Dindigul ‘Thalappakatti’ biriyani wins trademark row
Taking into consideration the submissions and post examining the legal documents, a prima facie case was made out at Madras High Court, which granted an interim injunction while stating that the defendant can market its product but only by using a different name as they cannot infringe the rights of the Plaintiff over its registered trademark. The submissions asserted by the brand stated that the marks have been in use by the applicant since the year 1957, thus seeking the injunction.
Ashutosh Bihani, CEO of Thalappakatti Hotels Private Limited said “The Thalappakatti Biryani Hotel’s roots can be traced all the way back to 1957. Founded by Nagasamy Naidu in Dindigul who would always wear a turban called THALAPA [a traditional head dress], earned him a nickname – ‘Thalappakatti Naidu’, eventually becoming the name of our brand. Our name, therefore, is a symbol of the tradition, authentic and unchanging delicacies handed down over the years.”
He further said, “The word ‘Thalappakatti’, for a common man in South India today, has become synonymous with authentic taste and traditional goodness. Hence, the name Thalappakatti was copyrighted to protect patronage.”
The homegrown brand began its journey under the name Anandha Vilas Briyani in the year 1957 in Dindigul. The restaurant has 8 outlets present across USA, UAE, Singapore, Malaysia & Sri Lanka. And in India it has 90 outlets that operate in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry.