Pune’s Burger King might share the same name as the American fast-food giant Burger King Corporation but they aren’t the same. Thirteen years ago, the American company filed a lawsuit against Pune’s famous Burger King, prompting them to change their name to only Burger.
Now, after a 13-year-long battle, the Pune outlet has finally emerged victorious, officially retaining itself.
The legal battle between Pune’s Burger King and giant Burger King Corporation, which started in 2011, concluded on August 16. It all started when the Corporation filed a lawsuit against the owners of Pune’s food chain, Anahita and Shapoor Irani, for the infringement of the trademark. In a petition filed against the company, they asked the local burger outlet to pay for damages, according to a report by NDTV Profit. Now, a commercial court in the city has rejected the giant’s lawsuit, speaking in favour of the local eatery.
According to a report by Livemint, district judge Sunil Vedpathak stated that the Pune eatery had been running even before the American corporation was established in the city. He added that the eatery has been using the trademark since 1989 before the fast-food company entered the Indian market in 2014, which makes it both legal and genuine.
The global firm’s lawsuit further claimed that the existence of the Pune burger outlet was causing irreparable harm to the reputation of Burger King. In response, Iranis countered that the international food giant intended to intimidate genuine business operators.
Iranis also confessed that they had endured harassment, seeking Rs 20 lakh in compensation for the distress caused by the legal proceedings. The court, however, did not support their claims for monetary relief. Now that the Pune burger company has reclaimed its original name, they can continue to use it at their outlets.
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