In 2018, Dabur India Limited filed a case against Marico Limited alleging copyright infringement. Dabur claimed that Marico’s Nihar Naturals brand of hair oil had copied the design of Dabur’s Vatika hair oil bottle. Dabur argued that the design of the Nihar Naturals bottle was deceptively similar to the Vatika bottle, and this was causing confusion among customers.
The case was heard in the Delhi High Court, and both companies presented their arguments. Marico argued that the design of the Nihar Naturals bottle was unique and different from the Vatika bottle. They claimed that the shape of the bottle, the label design, and the cap design were all different from Dabur’s Vatika bottle.
On the other hand, Dabur claimed that the Nihar Naturals bottle’s shape and design were very similar to the Vatika bottle, and this could mislead customers into thinking that they were buying Dabur’s product.
After considering the arguments presented by both parties, the court ruled in favor of Dabur and granted an injunction against Marico. The court ordered Marico to stop using the existing design of the Nihar Naturals bottle and to adopt a new design.
The case highlights the importance of protecting intellectual property rights and the potential consequences of copyright infringement. Companies must take steps to ensure that their products and marketing materials do not infringe upon the copyrights of others to avoid legal action and damage to their brand reputation. In this case, Dabur’s successful legal action prevented Marico from using a similar bottle design that could have led to confusion among customers.