US company drags Pantaloons to court over infringement row

NEW DELHI: US-based Retail Royalty Company has filed a trademark infringement case in the Delhi High Court against Pantaloons Fashion & Retail, alleging that the Aditya Birla Group company had a brand and logo that were deceptively similar to its American Eagle Outfitters brand and the eagle logo.

American Eagle contended in court that the Urban Eagle Authentic Outfitters brand and eagle logo of Pantaloons are deceptively similar to the US company's trademark American Eagle Outfitters and logo, a person with direct knowledge of the case said.

Sujata Chaudhri, a lawyer representing Retail Royalty, declined to comment on the matter, saying the case is currently sub judice. A Pantaloons spokesperson said in an email that the matter is sub judice.

Retail Royalty is the owner of American Eagle Outfitters, a trendy youth brand that operates more than 1,000 stores in the US, Canada, Mexico, UK, China, Ja pan and several Middle East countries. In India, it sells products including jeans bags and shoes. Other global brands too ave been locked in trade have been locked in trade mark disputes in India. In July, Gap, the US appare company that recently opened its first store in In dia, dragged two loca companies to the Delh High Court, alleging trademark violations for using labels such as Gap In, Gap-2 and Gap Two.

A district court in Delh ruled in favour of Benga luru-based Aikya Global after furniture maker IKEA sought to prohibit the company from conducting business under a pho netically similar name. The Swedish fur niture giant is expected to open its firs store in India in 2017.