Walmart sues cookware maker for ‘using’ name

NEW DELHI: American retailer Walmart has dragged a local firm, Yash Enterprises, to the Delhi High Court for allegedly selling cookware products under the supermarket chain’s brand name.
A person familiar with the matter said the court has granted Walmart Stores Inc an interim injunction in the trademark infringement case and set December 20 as the next date for hearing. The person, who did not wish to be named, said Walmart has alleged that Yash Enterprises has been infringing on its trademark for some years now.

In an emailed response to ET’s query, a spokesperson for Walmart said, “This case has been filed by Walmart Stores Inc against an organisation which has been selling cookware and related items on some e-commerce sites under the brand name of Walmart.”

Yash Enterprises could not be contacted for a comment. “At Walmart, we are committed to protecting our customer experience, our brand and customer trust. Our customers trust us to provide products that are what they say they are. Hence we take such violations very seriously,” the spokesperson said.

In the past, several Indian firms have run into trademark-related issues with Walmart. In 2007, the world’s largest retailer opposed several trademark filings in India for similar sounding names, including ‘Call-Mart’, ‘Mall-Mart’, ‘Val-Mart’ and ‘Hall-Mart’. Over the years, Indian firms have been targeted by several global retailers including Starbucks, Carrefour and Burger King for using confusingly similar names and logos.

US burger chain Burger King, which entered India about two years ago, is battling several trademark cases in India, including one against the owner of a pushcart called ‘Mr Singh Burger King’.