Trademark dispute between breweries

The Delhi High Court has passed an ad interim injunction against Tensberg Breweries Industries Private Limited and other companies, for using a mark similar to multinational brewer Carlsberg’s trademark. 

The court also said the shape of the bottle and can adopted by defendants appears to be deceptively similar to that of Carlsberg. Ruling in favour of Carlsberg Breweries on the application seeking interim relief, Justice Navin Chawla also said that there was a phonetic similarity between the two marks – Tensberg and Carlsberg.

Carlsberg, who had registered its trademark in 1949, moved the court against Tensberg and other companies, alleging that the manufacturer was marketing its beer in a deceptively similar bottle so as to cause confusion among the minds of the general consumers. The matter will now be heard on 19th October.