Trademark Infringement Case: Delhi Court Grants Relief to Adidas

A Delhi court has granted relief to Adidas in a trademark suit against a Connaught Place-based shop owner who sold goods bearing fake Adidas logos.

Judge Vidya Prakash issued a permanent injunction restraining the shop owner from using Adidas trademarks and from passing off products as those of Adidas.

The court also awarded Adidas ₹1 lakh in damages and directed the shop owner to cover the costs of the suit.

In 2019, Adidas discovered that the defendant was operating a wholesale business, stocking, distributing, and selling goods with trademarks that were identical or deceptively similar to Adidas trademarks. The infringing products featured the name “adidas,” along with the “3-Stripes” mark, “performance logo,” “Trefoil,” and other elements, leading to confusion and deception among consumers.

Adidas filed a trademark suit before the Delhi court through its authorized representative, Narendra Singh. The company argued that these products were not genuine and of inferior quality, and claimed that the shop owner was deceiving the public, diluting Adidas’s goodwill and reputation, and causing significant losses.

Adidas sought a permanent injunction against the defendant, the delivery of all goods bearing its trademark for destruction, an account of profits made from selling the infringing products, and punitive damages.

The shop owner did not appear in court despite being served summons. As a result, the court decided the case ex parte (without hearing the defendant) and ruled in favor of Adidas based on a balance of probabilities.