Delhi HC says no trademark infringement by IPL for naming robotic dog ‘Champak’
The Delhi High Court, on Wednesday, dismissed a plea filed by comic book publisher Delhi Press Patra Prakashan Private Limited for an interim injunction against the Indian Premier League, seeking to restrain the IPL from using the name ‘Champak’ for a robotic dog featured during matches. The court observed the name was chosen through public polling and lacked prima facie commercial infringement.
The bench of Justice Amit Bansal presided over the matter and listed the case for further consideration on July 9, 2025.
The 18th season of the IPL began on March 22 and was scheduled to continue until May 25. During the matches, the league featured a robotic dog equipped with cameras, named ‘Champak’. The name had been selected through a fan poll conducted by the organisers.
In its suit, the publishing house alleged that the unauthorised use of the trademark in a commercial context amounted to infringement and trademark dilution. To support its claim of long-standing reputation, Delhi Press cited a public statement by cricketer Virat Kohli, who mentioned having received the nickname ‘Cheeku’ based on a character from the Champak magazine.
The court, however, declined to pass an ex-parte interim order without hearing the IPL’s response. While issuing notice on the application seeking interim relief and damages amounting to Rs 2 crore, the court questioned the basis of the publisher’s claims.
The court observed that the robotic dog’s name had been chosen through a public poll, and not directly by the IPL organisers. He orally remarked that there appeared to be no deliberate adoption of the name by the organisers and no immediate justification for granting an ad-interim ex-parte injunction.
For Plaintiff: Advocates Amit Gupta and Mansi Kukreja
For Defendant: Senior Advocate J Sai Deepak
Case Title: Delhi Press Patra Prakashan Private Limited v BCCI
[Inputs: Indian Express]