Bombay High Court Restrains Use of 'Jio' Trademark by Unauthorized Taxi Service

The Bombay High Court has issued an interim injunction against a company using the 'Jio' trademark without authorization. The trademark, owned by Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), was being utilized in connection with a taxi service operating under the domain www.jiocabs.com.

The court's decision follows a bench of Justices led by Somasekhar Sundaresan, who acknowledged the strong prima facie case presented by RIL. They noted that unauthorized use of Jio, a prominent brand in digital and mobile services, could severely damage RIL's reputation and goodwill.

This interim order follows a legal notice that prompted the defendant to change its name, although the offending domain name remained active. The court ruled this as trademark infringement and passing off, warranting the preventive measure to safeguard Reliance's intellectual property rights.