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Mahindra in a statement on December 7 said it has decided to contest brand rights of BE 6e in court and meanwhile, rename its electric origin SUV ‘BE 6.’
On the back of Mahindra’s statement, the Delhi High Court has disposed of the application for interim orders and adjourned the case to April 2025 for final hearing, according to a Bar and Bench report.
Justice Mini Pushkarna was quoted as saying, “They (Mahindra) have unilaterally changed the name of the vehicle and shall not use it till disposal of the suit. Accordingly, defendants are bound by the undertaking.” The court also registered IndiGo’s complaint and directed completion of pleadings by the time the case comes up for hearing in April, the report said.
Mahindra and InterGlobe Aviation, which owns IndiGo airlines, have been locked in a tussle over infringement of ‘6e’ trademark.
In November, Mahindra revealed its electric origin SUVs the BE 6e and XEV 9e, following which InterGlobe Aviation raised concerns over the carmaker using the name 6E which is also the airline’s flight code.
Mahindra, however, has clarified that its mark is ‘BE 6e’ not the standalone “6E.”
Even as Mahindra has rebranded the car for now, it has clarified that it believes the claim by IndiGo is baseless and if not challenged, will set an unhealthy precedent of monopolizing alpha-numeric 2-character marks, despite the car maker’s mark being distinctive and different.
IndiGo on December 3 initiated a trademark infringement case against Mahindra Electric Automobile Limited in the Delhi High Court. It contends that the use of the “6E” name by Mahindra infringes upon its registered trademark rights, which it claims have been in use for years.
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Mahindra responded saying, “We believe it differs fundamentally from IndiGo’s “6E,” which represents an airline, eliminating any risk of confusion. The distinct styling further emphasises its uniqueness. Our registration application is for an entirely different industry sector and product and hence do not see any conflict.”
The carmaker went on to describe a previous instance when Tata Motors had objected to InterGlobe using the IndiGo mark, given the Tata Indigo car brand. Regardless of that, InterGlobe continues to use the mark IndiGo in a different industry and business.
“We therefore find their objection to BE 6e to be inconsistent with their own previous conduct,” Mahindra said.
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