Delhi High Court Imposes ₹30 Lakh Fine on Google for Trademark Misuse The Delhi High Court has ruled that Google violated trademark laws by using Hindware’s registered mark “HINDWARE” as a keyword in its AdWords advertising program, imposing a ₹30 lakh fine on the tech giant. The court’s May 22 judgment, delivered in two commercial suits filed by Hindware (through its predecessor HSIL) against Google and other entities, concluded that Google’s role in facilitating the unauthorized use of the trademark for commercial gain constituted active participation in trademark infringement. The case originated in 2013–14 when Hindware, a leading sanitaryware manufacturer, alleged that its competitors, including Grohe India and Cera Sanitaryware, had exploited its trademark by purchasing “HINDWARE” and related keywords like “HINDWARE SANITARY” on Google’s AdWords platform. These keywords were used to display sponsored links to the competitors’ websites as the first search results when users typed “HINDWARE.” Hindware argued that this practice caused consumer confusion and undermined its brand’s reputation. During the trial, Grohe, Cera, and Omkara Infoweb settled with Hindware, leaving Google India and Google LLC as the remaining defendants. Hindware emphasized the strength of its brand, which had been recognized as a well-known trademark by the Delhi High Court in earlier litigation. It contended that Google’s role in managing keyword auctions, suggesting trademarks via its keyword planner, and ranking ads made it an active participant in the infringement. The company argued that Google’s use of the trademark as a keyword for identical goods (sanitaryware) created a likelihood of confusion among consumers.#google #delhi_high_court #hindware #adwords #trademark_misuse
