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Synopsis

The Delhi High Court has granted an injunction against tea brands Teacurry and Just Vedic, the defendants in the case filed by Sunshine Teahouse Pvt Ltd, operating under the trade name 'Chaayos.'

The court restrained Teacurry and Just Vedic from manufacturing their products with trade dress and packaging resembling that of Chaayos, the plaintiff.

The bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh ruled that the packaging and plastic containers used by Teacurry and Just Vedic bore a clear resemblance to that of Chaayos.

The court observed that Chaayos had multiple trademark registrations for the mark 'CHAAYOS' and distinctive packaging, and it was evident that the defendants had imitated Chaayos' trade dress. The court further stated that the copying of listings and expressions by the defendants indicated a clear malicious intent to mimic the plaintiff.

The court granted interim relief in favor of Chaayos, ordering the removal of Teacurry and Just Vedic product listings from the Amazon e-commerce platform due to their close resemblance to Chaayos' packaging. If the defendants failed to comply with this directive, Chaayos was given the authority to approach online platforms with specific URLs for the removal of the listings.

Regarding products already manufactured by the defendants, the court directed them to provide a record of the inventory's specifics and its monetary value for the products produced under Chaayos' packaging.

The court imposed a restraint on the defendants, prohibiting them from creating new products with packaging that imitates Chaayos' trade dress, as it involved a colorable imitation of the plaintiff's product packaging.

The court's ruling followed a lawsuit filed by Chaayos against Grey Mantra Solutions, the parent company of Teacurry and Just Vedic, which sell various tea flavors online under these brand names.

Chaayos' counsel argued that the defendants had replicated and mimicked various distinctive aspects of Chaayos' packaging, resulting in a significant imitation of its trade dress. It was further contended that the defendants' packaging had copied the colors, certain flavor names, and the watermark featuring the word 'Chaai' used by Chaayos.

After careful examination of the arguments, the court said that the defendants had clearly imitated Chaayos, with distinctive elements of Chaayos' trade dress being replicated in the products of Teacurry and Just Vedic.

The court recognized the importance of online listings in marketing and sales and noted that copying listings indicated an attempt by the defendants to pass off their products as those of Chaayos, leading to potential point-of-sale confusion. While some online listings had been modified to feature new packaging with certain changes, the court found that when orders were placed, old products were delivered.

Conclusively, the court ordered that the defendants be restrained from any further manufacture of products with packaging and trade dress similar to Chaayos. The case will return for further proceedings as scheduled.

Case Title: Sunshine Teahouse Pvt Ltd v Grey Matra Solutions