In a recent development, the Delhi High Court has issued directives to internet service providers (ISPs) to block and eliminate instances of unauthorised usage of gaming unicorn WinZO’s trademarks. This move follows an injunction issued by the court against both identified and anonymous future unauthorised use of WinZO’s trademarks. Additionally, Domain Name Registrars (DNRs) have been instructed to disclose registration information of the infringing websites.
The court’s order extends to ISPs, social media platforms, and government agencies, including the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). These entities have been directed to take measures to prevent access to websites and other digital channels that could potentially mislead internet users.
WinZO, the gaming platform, has taken legal action against websites that utilize its trademark or a similar mark in their domain names, possess .apk extensions, or operate on social media platforms. Saumya Singh Rathore, WinZO’s co-founder, emphasized the importance of continuous monitoring in the dynamic online landscape to prevent the misuse of brand trust.
The court’s decision is a response to WinZO filing a lawsuit seeking a permanent injunction against the infringement of its registered trademarks by alleged illegal websites. This legal battle intensifies the ongoing efforts to protect intellectual property rights in the rapidly evolving digital space.
This development follows a recent restraining order issued by the Delhi High Court against a US-based company named Bajaar for creating an app called ‘Winzos!’, infringing upon WinZO’s trademark and causing confusion among users.
It is worth noting that in February of the previous year, the Delhi High Court dismissed an interim trademark infringement plea by WinZO against tech giant Google. The plea was related to Google displaying a warning when users attempted to download the WinZO app.
The tech industry has witnessed an increasing number of trademark infringement battles among startups and established companies. In December 2023, the Delhi High Court lifted an injunction against travel tech major MakeMyTrip in a case against Google and Booking.com. The court had earlier restrained the usage of registered trademarks as ‘keywords’ on the Google Ads Programme.
In November, the court, acting on MakeMyTrip’s plea, restrained Dialmytrip from using the former’s name in connection with tours, travel, hospitality, and related services. In October, the court issued a notice to Hero MotoCorp, seeking clarification on the usage of the name ‘X440’ for its bike after EV startup Ultraviolette claimed ownership of the name.
