Bombay HC rejects Republic TV’s interim plea for stay on use of logo by Telugu YouTube channel

A single-judge bench of Justice Manish Pitale refused interim relief to Republic TV against the defendant channel.

ARG Outlier in March filed a suit in the high court seeking permanent injunction against Rayudu Vision Media for alleged infringement and passing off the trademark “R.”, owned by Republic TV.

As per the suit, Republic TV officials came across a YouTube channel called RTV and the same had copied its trademark and was using a logo deceptively similar to the plaintiff’s mark.

Republic TV sought damages to the tune of Rs 100 crore from the defendant for the alleged “unfair trade practice” leading to damage to the plaintiff channel.

However, the defendant told the bench that it had been using the RTV logo since 2007, much prior to the incorporation of Republic TV which took place in 2016. The defendant added that it was an “honest user” of the mark as it came from the owner’s family name Rayudu and, therefore, the plea should not be allowed.

On May 8, the high court refused to grant urgent relief as the matter was pending before the central government.

Rayudu Vision Media Limited had told the court that it had sought permission from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) for a change of their logo and their application was pending before the ministry, which was opposed by Republic TV and the same was yet to be considered.

However, Republic TV had submitted that there was an urgency in the matter as there was a likelihood of the defendant starting a news channel with the impugned logo in the near future.