{"id":23103,"date":"2020-12-30T14:43:26","date_gmt":"2020-12-30T09:13:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/?p=23103"},"modified":"2020-12-30T14:43:28","modified_gmt":"2020-12-30T09:13:28","slug":"trademark-infringement-case-by-parle-agro-against-walmart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/trademark-infringement-case-by-parle-agro-against-walmart\/","title":{"rendered":"Shedding Light on Trademark Infringement Case filed by Parle Agro against Walmart"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">A Domestic company challenging an international company for a legal battle and winning with flying colours is quite a rare phenomenon. However, it did happen when Trademark infringement case was filed by Parle Agro against Walmart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of the cases under trademark are concerned with deceptively similar trademark. As it is implied by its name, \u201cdeceptive similarity\u201d can be defined as a considerable degree of resemblance between any two products or marks that may deceive or confuse the general public of mediocre mind-set into believing that the products or marks are associated or linked with each other.  The Indian courts generally verify certain conditions in order to determine the degree of the deceptive similarity. The factors that help to determine the degree of similarity includes the Principle of Phonetic and Visual Similarity, Rule of Entirety, that is, the mark is to be considered as a whole, degree of likelihood of confusion, and lastly, the goodwill attached to the mark being infringed.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Page Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/trademark-infringement-case-by-parle-agro-against-walmart\/#What_was_the_Reason_that_led_Parle_Agro_to_file_an_Infringement_Suit_against_Walmart\" >What was the Reason that led\nParle Agro to file an Infringement Suit against Walmart?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/trademark-infringement-case-by-parle-agro-against-walmart\/#Summary_of_the_Case-_Parle_Agro_against_Walmart\" >Summary of the Case- Parle Agro\nagainst Walmart<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/trademark-infringement-case-by-parle-agro-against-walmart\/#Final_Judgement\" >Final Judgement<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/trademark-infringement-case-by-parle-agro-against-walmart\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_was_the_Reason_that_led_Parle_Agro_to_file_an_Infringement_Suit_against_Walmart\"><\/span>What was the Reason that led\nParle Agro to file an Infringement Suit against Walmart?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Walmart India\nowns about 27 stores providing a variety of almost 5000 items in cash and carry\nwholesale format. The Walmart has extensively established itself in India and\nit attracts a large number of customers. One of these 5000 items is an apple\nflavoured drink which landed the Walmart India into legal trouble as Parle Agro\nclaimed that the Apple Flavoured drink offered by the Walmart is deceptively\nsimilar to its trademarked Appy Fizz in aspect of packaging and selling. Thus,\nInfringement suit was filed by Parle Agro against Walmart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The case was heard in Bombay High court by the Justice BP Colabawalla who put a restrain on retailing of the conflicted product until a further notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"text-left\"><b>Read our article<\/b>:<mark style=\"background: #fffd03 !important;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/benefits-of-trademark-registration-in-india\/\">A Deep Analysis on Benefits of Trademark Registration<\/a><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary_of_the_Case-_Parle_Agro_against_Walmart\"><\/span>Summary of the Case- Parle Agro\nagainst Walmart<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Parle Agro is a reputed beverage selling company, founded in 1985, having its head quarter in <em><strong>Mumbai<\/strong><\/em><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mumbai\"><em><strong>[1]<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/sup>. It is also the original producer of the drink named Appy Fizz, which is an apple flavour, based soft drink. Walmart India launched a product namely, Fizzy Apple, which was also an apple flavoured soft drink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It must be brought into light that the company is the owner of various <a href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/trademark-registration\"><strong>trademark registration<\/strong><\/a>, including \u201cAPPY FIZZ\u201d bearing number 1668879,\u201d APPY FIZZ (DEVICE OF APPLE)\u201d bearing number 2106067, each under <em><a href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/trademark-class-32\"><strong>Trademark Class 32<\/strong><\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/APPY-FIZZ-DEVICE-OF-APPLE\u201d-bearing-number-2106067-each-under-Trademark-Class-32.png\" alt=\"APPY FIZZ DEVICE OF APPLE\u201d bearing number 2106067 each under Trademark Class-32\" class=\"wp-image-23109\" width=\"501\" height=\"373\" srcset=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/APPY-FIZZ-DEVICE-OF-APPLE\u201d-bearing-number-2106067-each-under-Trademark-Class-32.png 985w, https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/APPY-FIZZ-DEVICE-OF-APPLE\u201d-bearing-number-2106067-each-under-Trademark-Class-32-300x224.png 300w, https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/APPY-FIZZ-DEVICE-OF-APPLE\u201d-bearing-number-2106067-each-under-Trademark-Class-32-768x572.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 501px) 100vw, 501px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contentions of Parle Agro<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Parle Agro, in its petition, stated that the product manufactured by the Walmart India is \u201cusing identical font, style and colour scheme\u201d as Parle\u2019s Appy Fizz. The advocate of the petitioner, Hiren Kamod stated in the court that the impugned product of the defendant is similar to the plaintiff\u2019s product in aspect of marking, colour scheming, identical shape and labelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The attorney of Parle Agro further added that such imitation evidently shows that the Walmart was attempting to create confusion among the general public and to seek the advantage of the well-known existing product Appy Fizz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In order to support\nhis case, he added that Appy Fizz was launched back in 2005 and since then, it\nhas been playing a dominating role in Apple Juice segment, holding almost 90%\nshares. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contentions by Walmart<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In their defence, the\nattorney of the Walmart India, Abhishek Malhotra stated in the court that\n\u2018Fizzy\u2019 was a common descriptive word and no person can claim monopoly over it.\nThe attorney of the Walmart India also stated that by filing a litigation suit\nover the word Fizzy, the petitioner is trying to claim monopoly over it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Directions by the Court<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>However, he failed in\nhis defence, and on the 9<sup>th<\/sup> of July 2020, over video conferencing, an\ninterim injunction restraining Walmart India from retailing the disputed\nproduct until further orders was imposed by Justice B. P. Collabawala. Though,\nit was further added by the Hon\u2019ble justice B.P Collabawala that it was a\ntemporary order and was not based on the merits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Final_Judgement\"><\/span>Final Judgement<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Recently, the final\njudgement concerning the matter came out in which Justice KR Shriram recorded\nWalmart India counsel\u2019s statement \u201cnot to use the label\u201d as an undertaking to\ncourt and disposed of the interim relief application filed by the Parle Agro\nagainst Walmart India for the infringement of Trademark. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In this matter of trademark infringement, Parle Agro was successful in defending their trademark and in protecting their rights. Not every day, we get to witness a domestic company standing up against a multi-national company and ending up winning the case. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the final verdict, Justice KR Shriram, ordered the Walmart India to not to use the company\u2019s label for its apple drink and as a final result, the interim application filed by Parle Agro against Walmart for infringement of trademark was disposed of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"text-left\"><b>Read our article<\/b>:<mark style=\"background: #fffd03 !important;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/trademark-infringement-meaning-types-and-remedies\/\">Trademark Infringement: Meaning, Types and Remedies<\/a><\/mark><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Domestic company challenging an international company for a legal battle and winning with flying colours is quite a rare phenomenon. However, it did happen when Trademark infringement case was filed by Parle Agro against Walmart. Most of the cases under trademark are concerned with deceptively similar trademark. As it is implied by its name, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":23111,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[1375],"acf":{"service_id":"18"},"authorName":"Sakshi Srivastava","authorImageUrl":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/IMG-20180130-WA0007.jpg","authorDescription":"Sakshi has pursued B.B.A.LL.B.(IPR Hons.). She is an avid reader and is keen to gather and share her knowledge on the subjects relating to IPR, Company Law and GST. Priorly she has worked as a legal researcher and vide her articles she aims at improving the core knowledge of the subjects to the masses.","postViews":5197,"readingTime":3,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23103"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23103"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23103\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23118,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23103\/revisions\/23118"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}