Full Text
Translation output
CS(COMM) 17/2021
HIGH COURT OF DELHI
CS(COMM) 17/2021 & I.A.595/2021, I.A.6296/2021, I.A.6297/2021, I.A.10386/2021
AKTIEBOLAGET VOLVO & ORS. ..... Plaintiffs
Through: Mr. Karan Kumar Kamra and Mr. Sidhant Chamola, Advs.
HIGH COURT OF DELHI
CS(COMM) 17/2021 & I.A.595/2021, I.A.6296/2021, I.A.6297/2021, I.A.10386/2021
AKTIEBOLAGET VOLVO & ORS. ..... Plaintiffs
Through: Mr. Karan Kumar Kamra and Mr. Sidhant Chamola, Advs.
VERSUS
MUKESH TIWARI ..... Defendant
Through: Mr. Prateek Goswami, Adv.
Through: Mr. Prateek Goswami, Adv.
CORAM:
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE C. HARI SHANKAR O R D E R (O R A L)
18.08.2021 (Video-Conferencing)
18.08.2021 (Video-Conferencing)
JUDGMENT
1. This is an application under Order XXIII Rule 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (CPC) for decreeing of the suit between the parties in terms of the settlement at which they have arrived. The terms of settlement, as set out in paras i to xii of para 7 of the application, read thus: I.A.10386/2021 (under Order XXIII Rule 3 of the CPC) “i. The Defendant acknowledges that the Plaintiffs are the rightful owners of and registered proprietors of the trademark ‘VOLVO’ and ‘VOLVO formative marks’ in India. The Defendants specifically recognize the Plaintiffs’ sole and exclusive common law and statutory rights as are vested in their trademarks comprising of the name/word ‘VOLVO’. An 2021:DHC:2540 illustrative list of some of the Plaintiffs’ registrations for the said trademarks in India, as are also outlined in paragraph 12 of the Plaint are given below:
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Sl.no. Trademark Registration Date of Class │ │ No. application │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ 1 VOLVO 76329 20.06.199 4 │ │ 1 7 │ │ 2 VOLVO 13848 14.09.200 4,9,3 │ │ PENTA 91 5 5 │ │ 3 14041 06.12.2005 2,4,9,12,35, │ │ 33 37, 39 │ │ 4 32495 12.02.200 2,4,9,12,35, │ │ 88 5 37,3 │ │ 5 VOLVO 12400 26.09.200 35 │ │ 74 3 │ │ 6 32512 12.02.200 12, │ │ 73 5 35, │ │ 37,3 │ │ 7 VOLVO 12400 26.09.200 39 │ │ 76 3 │ │ 8 VOLVO 12400 26.09.200 37 │ │ 71 3 │ │ 9 VOLVO 16189 06.11.200 35 │ │ OCEAN 95 7 │ │ RACE │ │ 10 VOLVO 21196 22.03/201 35 │ │ SELEKT 94 1 │ │ 11 VOLVO 36188 15.05.198 12 │ │ 6 0 │ │ 12 VOLVO 76328 20.6.1997 12 │ │ 13 19307 4.03.2010 12 │ │ 14 VOLVO 76329 20.06.199 9 │ │ 6 7 │ │ The Defendant further acknowledge the exclusive │ │ rights of the Plaintiffs in numerous copyrighted works │ │ CS(COMM) 17/2021 Page 2 of 7 │ │ 2021:DHC:2540 │ │ in India, including but not limited to the ‘VOLVO’ │ │ trademarks as well as the pictorial images associated │ │ therewith. │ │ ii. The Defendant agrees and acknowledges that the │ │ Plaintiffs’ trademark ‘VOLVO’ is a well-known │ │ trademark as defined under the provisions of section 2 │ │ (1) (zg) of the Trade Marks Act, 1999. │ │ iii. The Defendant agrees and acknowledges that he │ │ through his organisation, Travel Treat Holidays has │ │ infringed the statutory and common law rights of the │ │ Plaintiffs as are vested in their ‘VOLVO’ trademarks. │ │ In relation to the same, the Defendant tenders an │ │ unconditional apology for the various activities of his │ │ organization which constitute a violation of the │ │ statutory and common law rights of the Plaintiffs as are │ │ vested in the said trademarks. │ │ iv. The Defendant confirms that he has ceased all use ( │ │ offline and online) of the name/mark ‘VOLVO’ in │ │ relation to the activities of his organisation, Travel │ │ Treat Holidays , specifically to describe the holiday │ │ tour packages being offered by it titled as ‘VOLVO │ │ Tour Packages’ and ‘Shimla Manali VOLVO │ │ Packages’ and individual tour packages referred to as : │ │ ‘Delhi Shimla Manali VOLVO Packages’, ‘Manali │ │ VOLVO Packages’, ‘Shimla VOLVO Package’, │ │ ‘Himachal VOLVO Package’, ‘Honeymoon │ │ VOLVO Packages’, ‘Shimla Manali VOLVO Tour │ │ Package’, ‘Kullu Manali VOLVO Package from │ │ Bangalore’ and ‘Dharamshala VOLVO Packages’ │ │ and ‘Manali VOLVO Package from Bangalore’ etc. │ │ v. The Defendant agrees and undertakes that he, his │ │ organisation , Travel Treat Holidays, subsidiaries, │ │ affiliates, franchisees, co-proprietors/partners, officers, │ │ servants, agents, distributors, assigns, licensees, │ │ stockists, representatives and anyone acting for or on │ │ their behalf, including all the companies operated, │ │ managed and controlled by the Defendant will never │ │ use trademark/name ‘VOLVO’ or any name/mark │ │ CS(COMM) 17/2021 Page 3 of 7 │ │ 2021:DHC:2540 │ │ confusingly or deceptively similar thereto, in relation │ │ to the business of providing travel consultancy │ │ services, budget and luxury accommodation, online │ │ booking of bus tickets and holiday bus tour packages │ │ including the impugned domain name, │ │ www.delhimanalivolvobooking.com and the website │ │ hosted thereto; in meta-tags associated with the │ │ impugned domain name, in the form of textual │ │ references or use in the form of images or logos, in │ │ third party listings, references in the social media │ │ and/or any representation in any manner whatsoever; │ │ or as regards any other class of goods and services in │ │ any manner whatsoever amounting to infringement of │ │ the name/mark ‘VOLVO’. │ │ vi. The Defendant agrees and undertakes that he, his │ │ organisation , Travel Treat Holidays, subsidiaries, │ │ affiliates, franchisees, co-proprietors/partners, officers, │ │ servants, agents, distributors, assigns, licensees, │ │ stockists, representatives and anyone acting for or on │ │ their behalf, including all the companies operated, │ │ managed and controlled by the Defendant will never │ │ use trademark/name ‘VOLVO’ or any name/mark │ │ confusingly or deceptively similar thereto, in relation │ │ to the business of providing travel consultancy │ │ services, budget and luxury accommodation, online │ │ booking of bus tickets and holiday bus tour packages │ │ including the impugned domain name, │ │ www.delhimanalivolvobooking.com and the website │ │ hosted thereto; in meta-tags associated with the │ │ impugned domain name, in the form of textual │ │ references or use in the form of images or logos, in │ │ third party listing, references in the social media and/or │ │ any representation; or as regards any class of other │ │ goods and services in any manner whatsoever │ │ amounting to passing off of the business/services of the │ │ Defendant as that of the Plaintiffs. │ │ vii. The Defendant agrees and undertakes that he, his │ │ organisation, Travel Treat Holidays, subsidiaries, │ │ affiliates, franchisees, co-proprietors/ partners, officers, │ │ servants, agents, distributors, assigns, licensees, │ │ CS(COMM) 17/2021 Page 4 of 7 │ │ 2021:DHC:2540 │ │ stockists, representatives and anyone acting for or on │ │ their behalf, including all the companies operated, │ │ managed and controlled by the Defendant will never │ │ engage in any act, in any manner whatsoever, using the │ │ trademark/name ‘VOLVO’ or any other name/mark │ │ confusingly or deceptively similar thereto, amounting │ │ to the dilution and tarnishment of the name / registered │ │ well-known trademark ‘VOLVO’ of the Plaintiffs. │ │ viii. The Defendant agrees and undertakes that he, his │ │ organisation, Travel Treat Holidays, subsidiaries, │ │ affiliates, franchisees, co-proprietors/partners, officers, │ │ servants, agents, distributors, assigns, licensees, │ │ stockists, representatives and anyone acting for or on │ │ their behalf, including all the companies operated, │ │ managed and controlled by the Defendant in relation to │ │ the business of providing travel consultancy services, │ │ budget and luxury accommodation, online booking of │ │ bus tickets and holiday bus tour packages including the │ │ impugned domain name, │ │ www.delhimanalivolvobooking.com and the website │ │ thereto in meta-tags associated with the impugned │ │ domain name, in the form of textual references or use │ │ in the form of images or logos, in third party listing, │ │ references in the social media and/or any │ │ representation; or as regards any other class of goods │ │ and services in any manner whatsoever amounting to │ │ unfair competition vis. a. vis. Plaintiffs business under │ │ the Plaintiffs' registered and well-known trademark │ │ ‘VOLVO’. │ │ ix. The Defendants agrees and undertakes not to conduct │ │ any business and/or offer any goods or services, now │ │ or in the future, under the name/registered and well- │ │ trademark ‘VOLVO’ or any name/mark confusingly or │ │ deceptively similar thereto, in any manner whatsoever │ │ (offline or online) including but not limited to its use in │ │ domain names and ( not limited to use in the impugned │ │ domain name www.delhimanalivolvobooking.com), in │ │ email ids, on websites and meta-tags associated │ │ thereto, in social media accounts or third party │ │ CS(COMM) 17/2021 Page 5 of 7 │ │ 2021:DHC:2540 │ │ websites in India or in any other country across the │ │ world. │ │ x. The Defendant acknowledges that it has transferred the │ │ ownership of the impugned domain name, │ │ http://www.delhimanalivolvobooking.co.in to the │ │ Plaintiffs. Further, the Defendant confirms that he does │ │ not own any other domain name with the mark │ │ ‘VOLVO’ in it. The said domain name was scheduled │ │ to expire on 3rd March, 2021 and the ownership of the │ │ same has already been transferred to the Plaintiff. The │ │ Defendants undertakes not to register any domain │ │ name now and in the future in India or in any other │ │ country across the world comprising of the name/mark │ │ ‘VOLVO’ identical or deceptively similar to the │ │ Plaintiffs’ registered and well-known mark ‘VOLVO’. │ │ xi. The Defendant hereby agrees and undertakes not to │ │ apply for registration of the trademark ‘VOLVO’ or │ │ any other name/ mark deceptively similar thereto as │ │ regards any class of goods or services either through │ │ trade mark registrations, company name registrations, │ │ trade name registrations, social media accounts and │ │ domain name registrations in India or in any other │ │ country across the world. │ │ xii. The Defendant hereby agrees and undertakes that it has │ │ destroyed all infringing products and materials │ │ (including without limitation letterheads, visiting cards, │ │ stationery, brochures, invoices, cartons, stickers, │ │ blocks, dies, labels, packaging , business cards, │ │ promotional material and any other material bearing │ │ the name/ mark ‘VOLVO’ and/or any other mark │ │ deceptively similar to the Plaintiffs registered and well- │ │ known ‘VOLVO’ trademark.” │ │ 2. The parties shall remain bound by the aforesaid terms. │ │ 3. In view of the settlement, nothing survives for adjudication in │ │ this suit. │ │ CS(COMM) 17/2021 Page 6 of 7 │ │ 2021:DHC:2540 │ │ 4. Accordingly, the suit is decreed in terms of the aforesaid terms │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
5. The plaintiffs shall be entitled to refund of the full court fee deposited by them in the light of the law laid down by this Court in Munish Kalra v. Kiran Madan[1] read with Order XXXIII Rule 3 of the CPC.
6. All pending applications are also disposed of.
C. HARI SHANKAR, J
AUGUST 18, 2021