Novartis Trademark JALRA to be acquired for 200 crores, Injunction against Nike’s slogan, and more, brought to you by the Trademark Attorneys at BananaIP (BIP) Counsel.
INDIAN TRADEMARK UPDATES
USV to acquire JALRA trademark for 200 crores
USV Pvt Ltd, Mumbai based drugmaker is in advanced discussions to acquire the trademark ‘JALRA’, the anti-diabetic drug from Novartis, for a deal valued at over 200 crores. JALRA in isolation or in combination is used to treat type II diabetes in patients. JALRA contains Vildagliptin; the patent for the same, owned by Novartis is set to expire in a month. Thus we can expect to see a flood of branded generic versions entering the Indian market. With this brand acquisition, USV will now own the trademark and it can further augment its already strong foothold in the Indian oral anti-diabetic product segment. Eris, Piramal Healthcare and USV Pvt Ltd are a just few of the drug makers that Vildagliptin is licensed to.
INTERNATIONAL TRADEMARK UPDATES
WWE Banks on Lesnar
World Wrestling Entertainment, the American media and entertainment company, popularly known as WWE, has filed a new trademark application for the term Eat Sleep Conquer Repeat. The mark has been filed under class 25 for clothing. The mark is a popular catchphrase used by WWE’s wrestler Brock Lesnar. WWE has also filed several other catchphrases which have been made popular by the wrestler such as Suplex City, Brock Party and Beast in the Bank. It is interesting to note that WWE’s decision to file for the phrase has come as a bit of a surprise as the same has been in use by Lesnar for the past several years and has also later been hanged by him.
Injunction against Nike’s slogan
Sports giant Nike seems to have hit a snag with its new advertisement campaign as a North Carolina court has issued a preliminary injunction against its “Sport Changes Everything” advertising campaign. The injunction has been granted as the court feels that there is a likelihood of confusion amongst the consumers with the trademarks ‘Running changes everything’ and ‘Sports change everything’. The phrases are registered trademark of the apparel manufacturer and retailer Fleet Feet, Inc.’s. Nike has filed an appeal against the order.
BRAND LICENSING UPDATES
Dior collaborates with Air Jordan
French luxury company Dior has partnered with footwear brand Air Jordan to create a new footwear collection. The collection will be Dior’s first debut of men’s collection in the United States. The release of the collection coincides with the 35th anniversary of Air Jordan’s. The collection will resonate Dior’s classic gray colour in its footwear.
Undone partners with Warner Bros
Undone, the leading customized watch label has partnered with media production giant Warner Bros into a three-year licensing deal to bring a Batman-inspired watch collection. The collection will pay homage to Batman celebrating its 80th anniversary by introducing its first Titanium model in tandem. The collection plays homage to two important eras of the Batman universe, The Caped Crusader and The Dark Knight, which will be reflected in the collection.
FRANCHISING UPDATES
Reliance in talks to acquire Indian franchisee rights over of Versace
Reliance is in talks with the Italian luxury clothing apparel company to acquire the Indian Franchisee rights. Furthermore, Reliance is signing a deal to sell products of another Italian Company Valentino to further augment its top brands’ portfolio. If the deal comes to fruition, this will be the third partnership for Versace’s parent company, Capri holdings. The other two labels which are already being sold by Reliance in India are Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo.
DOMAIN NAME DISPUTE UPDATES
Private Company Acquires .Org Registry
Ethos Capital, a private equity company has acquired the .org domain name from the Internet Society as the Public Interest Registry was allowed to set whatever price it wants for these particular domain names. ICANN made this deal very viable by removing all price controls on .org. While the Internet Society would not raise the prices of the .org domain, a private equity company may do so as the motives of either party lie on opposite ends of the spectrum. It had stated in an interview that the motive was to ensure that the .org domain under new ownership would be very accessible and reasonably priced. Many groups are currently questioning the decision of the Public Interest Registry to remove the price cap, and how this would cause the desired effect of accessibility and affordability. The main detriment is going to be felt by customers and other .org domain name holders who, in time, will definitely have to pay more renewal fees and greater costs.
GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION UPDATES
Khola Chilli Gets GI Tag
Khola/Canacona chilli is the famous variety of spicy chilli grown in Khola village and surrounding areas of Canacona taluk in Goa. This chilli is characterized by attractive red in color having a mild pungent taste and thus widely used in making papad. The application was filed by the Khola/Canacona Chilli Cultivator’s Group Association (TKCCGA) and the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of Goa in 2018.
Authored and compiled by Shreya Chaddha & Uma T.S
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