This seems to be the highest damages sum awarded in a trademark infringement suit in India.
An Indian court has ordered an Amazon unit to pay $39 million in damages for infringing the "Beverly Hills Polo Club" trademark after garments with identical branding were sold on Amazon's India website, a court order showed on Wednesday.
Indian lawyers called the ruling a landmark judgment in terms of the amount of damages assessed against a U.S. firm in trademark cases. It comes after an India antitrust investigation found Amazon flouted competition laws by giving preference to select sellers on its India website - charges the company denies.
The trademark case was initiated in 2020 by Lifestyle Equities, the owner of "Beverly Hills Polo Club" (BHPC) horse trademark, which alleged Amazon's India shopping website had listings of apparel with a similar logo at a fraction of the price.
The X: @adityakalra
The infringing brand was owned by Amazon Technologies and sold on the Amazon India website, the court said.
Amazon's India entity has denied wrongdoing. Company spokespersons in U.S. and India did not respond to Reuters requests for comment on the court order.
Amazon "is well-aware of the exclusive rights of the Plaintiffs in the BHPC mark and logo as it has been involved in litigation" in multiple jurisdictions, including the UK, the Indian court added, issuing a "permanent injunction".
Source: Reuters
