Defendants restrained from disseminating disparaging content against the AMUL brand on social media platforms.
In a significant development, the Delhi High Court has granted an ad interim injunction in favor of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Limited, the proprietors of the renowned AMUL trademark, against R K Singh Rajput and others. The court order, delivered by Justice Jyoti Singh on May 29, 2026, restrains the defendants from publishing or disseminating any content that disparages the AMUL brand on social media platforms.
The plaintiffs, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Limited and its associated entities, sought urgent relief against the defendants for allegedly circulating a video on various social media platforms that portrayed AMUL products as unethical and religiously offensive. The court observed that the narrative in the video was carefully structured to provoke public outrage against AMUL, potentially causing irreparable harm to its reputation and goodwill.
The court acknowledged that AMUL has been a well-known trademark since 1958 and has garnered substantial goodwill and reputation globally, reflected in its significant marketing expenditure and global turnovers over the years. The defamatory content was seen as a deliberate attempt to incite public sentiments negatively, with implications for the plaintiffs' business and reputation.
In its order, the Delhi High Court directed the defendants to remove the URLs containing the disparaging content within 36 hours and prohibited them from re-uploading similar content. The court also directed intermediaries hosting the impugned content to take necessary action to remove the URLs if the defendants failed to comply with the order.
The court further ordered the disclosure of Basic Subscriber Information (BSI) details of the defendants by the respective intermediaries within four weeks, ensuring accountability and compliance with the court's directives.
This judgment underscores the importance of protecting well-known trademarks and business reputations in the digital age, where misinformation can spread rapidly and cause significant damage. The court's swift action in granting the ad interim injunction highlights the judiciary's role in upholding intellectual property rights and ensuring fair commercial practices.
Bottom line:-
Intellectual Property Law - Ad interim injunction granted in favor of the Plaintiffs to restrain Defendants from publishing or disseminating disparaging content against the Plaintiffs and their well-known trademark 'AMUL' on social media platforms.
Statutory provision(s): Trademark Act, 1999 Sections 28, 29, 135; Civil Procedure Code, 1908 Order XXXIX Rules 1 and 2; Information Technology Act, 2000 Section 79.
