Google appeals Delhi High Court ruling in Hindware trademark dispute
Google has appealed a Delhi High Court decision that fined the company for infringing on Hindware's trademark. Google had allowed other companies to bid on Hindware keywords in Google Ads, which the court found constituted trademark infringement.
Google is challenging a May 2024 ruling by the Delhi High Court, which found the tech giant liable for infringing on the trademark of sanitaryware manufacturer Hindware. The court had imposed a fine and ordered Google to cease using Hindware's trademarks as keywords in its advertising.
A Google spokesperson stated the company is appealing because the order "diverges from established legal precedents in India." Google asserts its ad policies support competition and consumer choice, and it looks forward to presenting its case. The appeal is scheduled to be heard by a division bench of the court on July 10.
The original ruling stated that Google had permitted other companies to bid on Hindware-related keywords through Google Ads. This practice was deemed a violation of India's Trade Marks Act, 1999, as it allowed Google to profit from auctioning trademarked terms to competitors without authorization.
Hindware initially filed a lawsuit in 2013, alleging that competitors had purchased its branded keywords via Google AdWords. While Hindware later settled with its direct competitors, the case against Google proceeded.
This appeal holds significance as it could encourage other brands to pursue legal action against major tech firms over similar keyword bidding practices. Google has faced scrutiny over its keyword auction system previously; however, past cases, such as those involving MakeMyTrip and Policybazaar, did not result in similar court-imposed restrictions on Google's operations.