In a recent development, the Bombay High Court issued a John Doe order instructing Meta and other parties to remove videos that were deemed defamatory and allegedly violated the registered trademark of Patanjali Food. The order was issued in the case of Patanjali Foods Limited v. Meta Platforms Inc & Ors. and directs the removal of the content in question.
In response to Patanjali Foods’ lawsuit alleging trademark infringement of its product ‘Mahakosh’, Justice Manish Pitale, a single judge of the Bombay High Court, issued a temporary injunction restraining Meta Platforms from circulating videos that the company had objected to. The court’s order also prohibits the dissemination of a Facebook video containing derogatory comments about Patanjali’s product.
Patanjali Foods had urgently sought relief from the court due to the potential damage to its reputation caused by the videos circulating on Meta Platforms. The recent court ruling has provided temporary protection to Patanjali Foods until the case is resolved through further legal proceedings. This development is likely to bring some respite to the company, as it works to protect its brand image and reputation.
According to Patanjali Foods, the circulating video not only violates the company’s registered trademark, but it also spreads misleading and false information to the general public about the product associated with the trademark. The company made this claim while seeking urgent relief from the Bombay High Court, citing the potential harm to its reputation. The court subsequently issued a temporary injunction restraining Meta Platforms from circulating videos that Patanjali Foods had objected to, providing the company with some measure of protection while the case is ongoing.
During court proceedings, it was revealed that Patanjali Foods had owned the registered trademark for its product since 1998 and had built up a significant amount of goodwill around the brand.
In April 2023, the company became aware of videos circulating on Meta Platforms’ Facebook and Whatsapp that contained misinformation about its product. Patanjali observed that a specific community was sharing the videos with a call to boycott the product. After issuing cease and desist notices to Meta Platforms, Patanjali Foods did not receive any response. Faced with this lack of action, the company felt compelled to approach the Bombay High Court seeking urgent relief in the form of a temporary injunction.
In a recent development, the Bombay High Court examined the evidence presented in the case of Patanjali Foods v. Meta Platforms Inc & Ors. and found that the contents of the video in question, which were available on Meta Platforms, prima facie appeared to have infringed on Patanjali’s registered trademark. The court issued a temporary injunction against Meta Platforms, preventing them from infringing on Patanjali’s registered trademarks, including ‘Mahakosh’.
The court held that a strong prima facie case had been made in favor of Patanjali Foods, granting them ad-interim relief. Advocates Prathamesh Kamat, Nakul Jain, Kayush, and Apoorv Srivastava appeared for Patanjali Foods, while advocates Shailesh Poria, Hrishikesh Shukla, and Rahul G, briefed by the Economic Law Practice, represented Google LLC.
This ruling provides temporary protection to Patanjali Foods against the dissemination of defamatory videos on Meta Platforms while the case is ongoing.
Written by – Sohini Chakraborty intern under Legal Vidhiya
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