SC refuses to restrain Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved from using ‘Coronil’ trademark
Chief Justice of India SA Bobde observed that preventing Patanjali Ayurved from using the brand name Coronil "will be terrible for the product" during the pandemic.
August 27, 2020 / 05:23 PM IST
Image: Twitter/@PypAyurved
The Supreme Court of India, on August 27, refused to restrain yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved from using the 'Coronil' trademark for its line of immunity-boosting products launched amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The product range was caught in controversy soon after its release, first for claiming to be effective in fighting off the novel coronavirus, later getting embroiled in a trademark dispute. The SC ruling was related to the latter and not about the efficacy of the Patanjali immunity-boosting product.
Hindustan Times reported that a bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde has declined to interfere with the interim order passed by a division bench of the Madras High Court. The division bench had stayed an earlier order passed by a single-judge bench of the HC and granted relief to Patanjali.
The single-judge bench of Madras High Court had restrained Patanjali from using the ‘Coronil’ brand name for its product line after Arudra Engineers Private Limited had filed a trademark infringement suit against the company. The court had also slapped a fine of Rs 10 lakh on Patanjali Ayurved.
However, CJI Bobde observed: “In these COVID times, if we prevent the use of word Coronil, it will be terrible for the product (of Patanjali)."
The SC also dismissed Arudra’s plea that had challenged the interim order passed by the division bench. Arudra has been asked to pursue the matter further before the Madras High Court’s division bench, which will be reviewing their appeal in September.