India’s popular travel company MakeMyTrip has taken a strict action and taken five travel and tourism websites to court for allegedly using similar sounding names. These companies include MakeMyYatra, MakeMyJourney, Make My Happy Journey, Pick My Trip and Superb MyTrip.
MakeMyTrip alleged that these companies are not only using “deceptively similar sounding names” but also, some of them have copied its logo as well.
The travel company also stated that it has spent almost 46% of its revenue, or 1,264 crore, (out of total revenue of 2,759 crore in fiscal year 2017-18) on advertising and marketing the MakeMyTrip brand in FY 2017-18.
“Till further orders,the defendant, its partner, directors, shareholders or proprietors as the case may be, its assigns in business, franchisees, affiliates, subsidiaries, licencees and agents are restrained from using in manner whatsoever, selling, offering for sale, advertising directly or indirectly dealing in any products or services under the infringing marks, namely PickMyTrip (word per se),”the court said in an interim order passed on October 31.
Similarly, an order was also passed by the Delhi court against MakeMyYatra on December 5. To safeguard our legal rights so that no one infringes on MakeMyTrip’s brand names or uses deceptively similar logo, the company has initiated legal proceedings against some businesses.
“These proceedings are largely against infringement of trademarks, domain squatting and confusing the customer regarding the actual service provider. If left unchecked, they could negatively impact our hard earned goodwill, reputation and brand names,” a MakeMyTrip spokesperson said.
MakeMyTrip is the latest among a host of Indian and foreign brands approaching courts to fight alleged similar sounding names. Over the years, global giants including Starbucks, Burger King, Ikea among others have taken local firms for such alleged trademark infringements.