MANU/DE/1210/2023

True Court CopyTM

IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI

C.A. (COMM. IPD-TM) 162/2022, I.A. 21666/2022 and I.A. 21667/2022

Decided On: 27.02.2023

Appellants: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Vs. Respondent: The Registrar

Hon'ble Judges/Coram:
C. Hari Shankar

JUDGMENT

C. Hari Shankar, J.

1. This appeal under Section 91 of the Trade Marks Act assails order dated 13th September 2022, passed by the Senior Examiner of Trade Marks in the office of the Trade Marks Registry, New Delhi, rejecting Application No. 4280126 submitted by the appellant for registration of the mark, in Class 14, for "Alarm clocks; bracelets; busts of precious metal; charms; clocks; earrings; jewellery; jewellery cases of precious metal; jewellery boxes not of precious metal; jewellery chains; decorative key fobs; key chains; key rings; lapel pins; neck chains; necklaces; necktie fasteners; nonmonetary coins; ornamental lapel pins; pendants; rings; stop watches; tie clips; tie fasteners; tie tacks; wall clocks; watch bands; watch cases; watch chains; watch straps; watches; wedding bands; wrist watches on proposed to be used basis".

2. Consequent to submission of the aforesaid application by the appellant, the office of the trademark Registry issued First Examination Report (FER) dated 25th September 2019, objecting to the registration of the proposed mark under Section 11(1) of the Trade Marks Act, 1999, on the ground that it was deceptively similar to two earlier marks. The two marks which were cited were (i), registered in favour of Mr. A. Shrivinasan and (ii) , registered in favour of Mr. Avathar Varatharajan.

3. Of these two marks, the former mark was not renewed and, accordingly, was deemed to be statutorily abandoned under Section 25(3) of the Trade Marks Act.

4. The appellant, in its reply dated 19th October 2019 to the FER, submitted that (i) the appellant's mark was phonetically and visually distinct from the cited mark, (ii) the overall impression conveyed by the two marks was completely different and there was, therefore, no likelihood of confusion, (iii) Section 17 of the Trade Marks Act required the rival marks to be seen as a whole, without vivisecting the marks into their individual components, (iv) the goods in respect of which the cited was registered were also different from the goods in respect of which the appellant sought registration of its mark.

5. Mr. Prithvi Singh, learned Counsel for the appellant submits, moreover, that the goods in respect of which the registration of the appellant's mark was sought were essentially towards promotion of the movie AVATAR which was released in December 2022.

6. The Senior Examiner, by the impugned order dated 13th September 2022, rejected the aforesaid defence put up by the appellant and disallowed registration of the appellant's mark under Section 11(1)1 of the Trade Marks Act on the ground that it was visually and phonetically similar to the cited mark.

7. Aggrieved thereby, the appellant has approached this Court by means of the present appeal.

8. I have heard Mr. Prithvi Singh, learned Counsel for the appellant and Mr. Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar, learned Counsel for the respondent at some length.

9. The only ground on which registration of the mark of the appellant has been refused, is that it is decept........