7.4. The submission advanced by Dabur that one of the registrations, which
bears the tagline "Be 100% sure", contains a disclaimer qua the same and,
therefore, had lost its legal efficacy, is flawed, as it does not prevent the
I.A.
Signature Not No. 6865/2020 Verified in CS (COMM) No. 319/2020 Page 8 of 25
Digitally Signed
By:ATUL JAIN
Signing Date:27.11.2020
21:27:39
plaintiffs from claiming common law rights. Notwithstanding the disclaimer,
the plaintiffs would be entitled to sue for the tort of passing off in addition to
infringement, provided other registrations bear no such disclaimer. [See:
Cadbury India Ltd. & Ors. vs. Neeraj Food Products, 2007 (34) PTC 370]
7.5. The fact that there are other entities which manufacture and sell soap bars
that bear the shape and configuration similar to the 2009 design and the subject
design registration - does not foreclose the plaintiffs' right to seek relief as
these designs do not precede the aforementioned designs owned by the
plaintiffs.
Ld. v. Frederick
Robinson, Ld. (1946) RPC 17; Midas Hygiene Industries P. Ltd. v. Sudhir Bhatia 2004 (28)
PTC 121 (SC); Cadbury India Ltd. & Ors. v. Neeraj Food Products (2007) 35 PTC 95
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manufacture non-alcoholic beverages. There is no reason to believe
that a connoisseur of the plaintiff's alcoholic "BREEZER" would not
partake of the defendants' non-alcoholic "FREEZ mix". The triple
identity test, of similarity of marks, similarity of products and
availability through common sources, is also, therefore, satisfied in the
present case.
27. Mr. Sibal has relied upon the decision of this Court in Cadbury India
Limited v. Neeraj Food Products , 142 (2007) DLT 724 wherein the Court
was faced with a similar allegation of alleged suppression of a disclaimer,
in two of the three registrations in favour of the plaintiff therein, whereby
no exclusive use of the word was conferred. This Court, nevertheless
refused to non-suit the plaintiff on the basis of concealment of material
facts, on the ground that the plaintiff had a third registration in respect of
which there was no disclaimer.
21. It was also submitted by the plaintiff that the defendant pleaded
concealment and misrepresentation by the plaintiff in respect of the three
trademark registration namely LOVCOM in class 9, LOVCOM NOW in
class 16 and Romedy Now in Class 38. It was countered by the plaintiff that
there are 77 registrations in class 38 and 73 registration in class 41 without
any disclaimer, and just one declaimer in class 38 does not affect the
proprietary right conferred in the Plaintiff in respect of "NOW" family of
marks. Reliance was placed on 2007 (35) PTC 95 (Del.) Cadbury India v.
Neeraj Food Products and 2012 (50) PTC 60 (Del.)