Flipkart another trademark violation: Court barred it to sell products under MarQ brand

In yet another trademark infringement case, e-commerce major Flipkart has caught itself in trouble as it was asked to stop selling products under MarQ private label by Delhi district court.

The Patiala House District Court passed an interim injunction order after a petition of alleged trademark violation filed by a local appliances maker Marc Enterprises. The case was filed 10 months ago when Marc Enterprises had alleged in its petition that Flipkart was using the MarQ name “dishonestly, fraudulently and out of positive greed".

Marc Enterprises also claimed that it was using the trademark ‘Marc’ since 1981 and in respect of electronic goods the mark was being used since 1984.

For the uninitiated, Flipkart sells electronic goods such as refrigerators, washing machines, LED TV sets, and large appliances under the in-house brand MarQ.

Soon after the initial petition, Flipkart had appealed in the Delhi High Court to get the injunction vacated, but the court allowed it to exhaust its existing inventory under the MarQ brand.

According to lawyers, Flipkart was also asked by the court to deposit Rs 1 crore as bank guarantee, reports ET.

In June, Flipkart had faced a similar situation, when offline footwear brand Metro Shoes dragged it to court for allegedly encroaching trademark rights by the company’s private label – Metronaut.

Besides, grocery major BigBasket had also faced court proceedings for infringing ‘Royal’ trademark owned by Tea maker Girnar Food and Beverages.