Google has filed an appeal against the Delhi High Court's May 26 ruling that fined the company for trademark infringement involving sanitaryware brand Hindware. The appeal is scheduled to be heard by a division bench of Justices V Kameswar Rao and Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora on July 10, according to the Delhi HC cause list. A Google spokesperson stated the company is challenging the order for diverging from established legal precedents in India and looks forward to presenting its case.
The original ruling by single-judge Justice Mini Pushkarna found that Google allowed competitors to bid on the trademarked keyword “Hindware” through its Google Ads platform, leading to trademark infringement under the Trade Marks Act, 1999. The court restrained Google LLC and Google India from using Hindware’s registered trademarks as advertising keywords. Hindware had argued that rival companies’ websites appeared in search results when users searched for “Hindware” or “Hindware Sanitary,” causing unfair competition and trademark dilution.
This case highlights the ongoing legal challenges around keyword advertising and trademark rights in India’s digital advertising market. The Delhi HC’s ruling is among the few in India to address keyword auction systems as potential trademark infringement. The outcome could influence how tech companies manage trademarked terms in their ad platforms, affecting both advertisers and trademark holders. Similar disputes have been seen globally as courts balance trademark protection with online advertising practices.
The appeal hearing on July 10 will determine whether the Delhi High Court’s order stands or is overturned. Google’s spokesperson emphasized that their ad policies aim to enable competition and consumer choice. The case has drawn attention to the intersection of trademark law and digital advertising in India’s evolving legal landscape.