The Supreme Court has refused to stay a ₹340 crore penalty imposed on Amazon by the Delhi High Court in a trademark infringement case filed by UK-based fashion brand Lifestyle Equities CV.
The apex court also dismissed Lifestyle Equities’ petition challenging the High Court order.
A Bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan rejected the plea, stating that the reasons for dismissal will be provided in a subsequent order.
The Court clarified that its decision does not affect the Delhi High Court’s ability to adjudicate the case on merits.
Delhi High Court’s Landmark Ruling
The Delhi High Court had ordered Amazon Technologies to pay USD 3.9 million (around ₹340 crore) to Lifestyle Equities for infringing the Beverly Hills Polo trademark.
The ruling noted that Amazon was selling clothes under its SYMBOL brand that copied the iconic ‘polo player’ logo of the Beverly Hills Polo Club (BHPC), a design registered and in use in India since 2007.
Justice Pratibha M Singh, in an 85-page judgment, highlighted that the logo is a distinctive feature of BHPC and that Amazon, as a major e-commerce player, had all the means to avoid such infringement.
The Court emphasised that the logo used by Amazon was nearly impossible to differentiate from the original.
This is the largest penalty imposed in India against a US company for trademark violation.
The verdict comes at a time when Amazon is also facing an antitrust investigation in India over allegations of favouring select sellers, which the company has denied.
Legal experts note that the Supreme Court’s rejection reinforces India’s strict stance on intellectual property rights, sending a strong message to multinational e-commerce firms operating in the country.
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