Puma Shoos Away a Trademark Infringer, New “Apple Watch Studio” Trademark for Customizable Watches, Ranbir Kapoor to be the Face of “Single”, PUMA Inks a Licensing Agreement with Athletics South Africa, Wikipedia Aggressive with Bad Faith Domains, and more, brought to you by the Trademark Attorneys at BananaIP (BIP) Counsel.
INDIAN TRADEMARK UPDATES
“PUMA” Shoos Away a Trademark Infringer
Puma, a well-known German sports footwear brand, filed an application at the Patiala House Court, New Delhi, for a permanent injunction against Vikas Jindal, a Ludhiana based business proprietor, for using its trademark ‘PUMA’ and the ‘PUMA’ logo. Puma further contended that Vikas was liable for misrepresenting and deriving unfair advantage by using the ‘PUMA’ trademark in his products. Vikas Jindal did not file a reply to the suit. Based on the submissions and evidences provided by Puma, the Court passed an ex-parte permanent injunction against Vikas Jindal and ordered him to pay nominal damages of Rupees 50,000 for selling products using the ‘PUMA’ trademark.
INTERNATIONAL TRADEMARK UPDATES
New “Apple Watch Studio” Trademark for Customizable Watches
Apple, the American tech giant, has applied for the registration of the word mark “Apple Watch Studio” at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Hong Kong Trademark Registry. Apple has applied for the registration of its mark under classes 35 and 42, covering the provision of consumer and commercial information over computer networks as well as the provisio of online non-downloadable software. “Apple Watch Studio” enables customers to customize the band, select the case, and choose the size of the dial of their Apple watches.
Will the Real Kentucky Colonels Please Stand Up
Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels (HOKC), a US based philanthropic organization, has filed a trademark infringement suit against another non-profit organisation, ‘Kentucky Colonels International’ (KCI), for using its trademark “Kentucky Colonels”. HOKC filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court at the Western District of Kentucky seeking a preliminary injunction against KCI to stop them from using their mark as it is likely to cause confusion amongst the public. HOKC had also claimed in the lawsuit that the use of the term “Kentucky Colonels” by KCI led to misappropriation of its goodwill. The Court has thus passed a temporary injunction in favour of HOKC, restricting KCI from using the term.
BRAND LICENSING UPDATES
Ranbir Kapoor to be the Face of ‘Single’
Ranbir Kapoor, the popular Bollywood actor, has been appointed as the brand ambassador for “Single” by Universal Sportsbiz, a youth-oriented fashion retailer. Ranbir will be the face of the newest mens fashion brand focusing on men’s casual wear. Single’s Spring Summer 2020 collection comprises of t-shirts of various styles such as typo t-shirts, ombre, tie and dye, and pop colour.
PUMA Inks a Licensing Agreement with Athletics South Africa
The global sports brand Puma has entered into a multi-year licensing agreement with Athletics South Africa (ASA), the national governing body for athletics in South Africa. Puma has acquired the branding and licensing rights of ASA and additionally the opportunity to create first-hand moments and pop-up retail at ASA Junior and Senior Champs. The deal between the two entities would require South African team athletes to wear PUMA kits at all International Association of Athletics Federations events.
Kareena Kapoor Khan to be the Face of PUMA’s Studio Collection
Kareena Kapoor Khan, the Bollywood actress and fashion icon, has been roped in by Puma as its brand ambassador for the upcoming Studio Collection. Puma’s new Studio Collection is a low-intensity apparel collection specifically for workouts like Yoga, Barre and Pilates. Puma previously had collaborations with leading public figures including Adriana Lima, Selena Gomez, Cara Delevingne, Sara Ali Khan, MC Mary Kom, and Dutee Chand.
FRANCHISING UPDATES
MM Agarwal Group Grabs McDonald’s Franchises for North and East India
MM Agrawal Group, a multi crore diversified business entity, has successfully gained the franchise rights for McDonald’s outlets in North and East India. MM Agrawal Group will now be responsible for operations at over 160 outlets of McDonald’s. The franchise deal will look to modernize the restaurants, enhance digital consumer engagement, offer personalized service and menu items tailored to the local flavor preferences of the regions. MM Agarwal Group was founded in 1964 as Superior Group of Industries by former MP of Rajya Sabha and now has diversified businesses ranging from food and beverage to hotels to offshore services for oil and gas industry.
DOMAIN NAME DISPUTE UPDATES
Wikipedia Aggressive with Bad Faith Domains
The Wikimedia Foundation, an American non-profit and charitable organization, headquartered in San Francisco, California filed a domain dispute with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center against an individual, Jan Everno. Based in the US, Everno has registered the domains www.ewikipedia.org, www.fenwikipedia.org, and www.ptwikipedia.org. Wikimedia, the owner of national and international trademark registrations for the mark WIKIPEDIA and the domain www.wikipedia.org, alleged that Everno was using the disputed domain names to direct internet users to websites that spread malicious software. The Panel found that the disputed domain names, with the prefixes “e”, “fen” and “pt” were confusingly similar to Wikipedia’s registered domain name. The Panel found that Everno did not possess any legitimate interest over the disputed domains and they were registered in bad faith. Everno was ordered to transfer all the three disputed domains to Wikimedia.
Authored and compiled by Uma T.S, Shreya Chaddha & Poorvika Chandanam
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