The Delhi High Court has ruled in favor of Britannia Industries in a trademark infringement case against Desi Bites Snack, protecting its GOOD DAY brand. The case concerned the unauthorized use of the GOOD DAY trademark for products such as Soan Papdi and papad. The court issued an ex parte interim injunction against Desi Bites, preventing them from using the trademark in any form.

Britannia contended that GOOD DAY, registered in Class 30 since 1986, had acquired immense reputation and reputation in the Indian market. FMCG’s legal team argued that the brand had become synonymous with quality in the bakery and confectionery sector. With annual sales exceeding ₹16,000 crore and a wide market presence across 4.2 million outlets, the company claimed that the defendant’s use of an identical brand was a deliberate attempt to exploit its customers.

The plaintiff alleged that Desi Bites’ use of GOOD DAY constitutes trademark infringement and also amounts to deception and unfair competition. Britannia claimed that this misuse was likely to mislead consumers into believing that the defendants’ products were associated with or endorsed by them, thereby damaging the brand’s reputation. The court was told that monetary compensation would be insufficient to remedy the dilution of brand value.

Despite being served notices, the defendants failed to appear in court, leaving the case to be decided based on Britannia’s arguments.

Justice Mini Pushkarna, who presided over the case, recognized the established goodwill and reputation associated with Britannia’s GOOD DAY brand. The court observed that identical use of the mark by the defendants could create consumer confusion, infringe the plaintiff’s rights and harm its brand image.

The court ruled that Britannia had established a prima facie case of infringement. The judgment noted that the defendants’ continued use of the GOOD DAY mark would cause irreparable harm to Britannia.

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The main orders issued by the court include an injunction prohibiting the defendants, their associates and distributors from using the GOOD DAY mark or any deceptively similar mark; a directive to remove all counterfeit products from e-commerce platforms; and clarification that Desi Bites may manufacture and sell its products but must refrain from using the GOOD DAY mark.

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