Delhi HC rules against Google in Hindware trademark battle

Google cannot escape liability as an intermediary for allowing competitors to use Hindware’s trademark as advertising keywords, the Delhi High Court has held, while ruling in favour of the sanitary-ware company in a long-running trademark infringement dispute.

Holding that Google played an active role in monetising trademarked terms through its advertising ecosystem, Justice Mini Pushkarna restrained the company from using marks such as “HINDWARE”, “HINDWARE SANITARYWARE”, “HINDWARE SANITARY”, and related combinations as keywords, and directed it to pay Rs 30 lakh in damages.