Bombay HC restores ban on Cognizant logo use in India; Company to contest order

Cognizant

The Bombay High Court, on August 26, restored a ban preventing US-based IT services major Cognizant Technology Solutions from using its logo in India until the conclusion of a trademark infringement suit filed by Bengaluru-based Atyati Technologies Pvt. Ltd, sources aware of the matter told Moneycontrol.

In an interim ruling, a division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep V. Marne set aside a 13 June 2024 single-judge order that had allowed Cognizant to continue using the logo while the case was pending, sources said.

The bench instead reinstated a 19 March 2024 injunction that had barred the company from using the disputed branding in India, sources said.

The interim ruling came in response to an appeal filed by Atyati challenging the June order that lifted the ban.

Responding to the development, Cognizant said in a statement: “We are currently reviewing the interim Order and intend to pursue available legal remedies to defend our position and challenge it. Cognizant is firmly committed to complying with the laws and regulations in every jurisdiction in which we operate.”

Nearly three-fourths of the over 340,000 employees of the Teaneck-headquartered firm are based in India.

Moneycontrol, on May 10, 2024, reported that present and former staff were perplexed when their social media profiles and work histories suddenly displayed “Innovate” in place of the Cognizant logo.

Messaging groups were abuzz with questions such as “What is Innovate?”, “Have you heard of this company?”, and “When did I work there?” The shift came after the March order restraining Cognizant from using its previous branding in India.

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