99 accused Keeta of trademark infringement and unfair competition, Reuters reports.
On Monday, 99, the Brazilian subsidiary of China’s ride-hailing company Didi Global, sued Chinese rival Keeta (owned by Meituan) in a São Paulo court alleging trademark infringement and unfair competition.
99 claims that Keeta uses colors, graphics, and font similar to 99’s food delivery app 99Food, which can cause confusion among customers. It also asked the court to order Keeta to redesign its logo.
In response, Keeta said that its visual identity was established more than three years ago and, since then, it has been tied to Meituan, which was founded more than 14 years ago. 99 declined to comment.
The lawsuit came only a few days after Keeta accused 99 of anti-competitive practices. Keeta claimed on Aug. 14 that 99Food was offering upfront cash incentives to merchants to sign ‘single-platform’ contracts to ban them from partnering with Keeta, eventually hindering innovation in the local food delivery sector.
On the same day, the Brazilian Association of Bars and Restaurants issued a public statement endorsing Keeta’s position and condemning exclusive contracts or practices restricting market access.
Before that, on Aug. 11, Meituan said that a São Paulo court issued an injunction ordering 99 to stop manipulating search results for the term ‘Keeta’ on Google and similar platforms within three days. Failure to comply would incur a daily fine of BRL20,000 ($3,640).
In the second quarter of this year, Didi and Meituan actively entered the Brazilian food delivery market: on April 5, Didi launched the 99Food app, and on May 12, Meituan announced plans to invest $1 billion over five years to boost Keeta’s expansion. This increased competition and forced the local leader, iFood, to announce an investment of BRL17 billion ($3.1 billion) by March 2026 to fend off rising competition from international rivals, such as Keeta, 99Food, and Rappi.
As Asian super-apps push into international arenas, legal showdowns and claims of unfair tactics are happening more often. This clash highlights that even seasoned global firms must navigate fresh legal landscapes while trying to stay ahead of rivals. The courtroom outcome could set new rules for how tech titans compete beyond their home turf, influencing digital industries worldwide.
Sources: Reuters, YiCai Global
