Airline major, IndiGo on Tuesday filed a trademark infringement suit against Mahindra Electric Automobile over the use of the term ‘6E’ in the name of its upcoming electric car.
The case was filed at the Delhi High Court, and the case is slated to be heard again on December 9.
Notably, IndiGo flights use the call sign ‘6E’; besides, the airline has several products branded with this call sign. IndiGo’s lawyers said that the automobile manufacturer has reached out to the airline to resolve the matter.
As per a media report that appeared on the Bar and Bench website, Mahindra Electric recently received an approval from the trademark registrar to register ‘BE 6E’ under Class 12, which covers a wide range of motor vehicles, excluding two-wheelers.
IndiGo’s claim
IndiGo has challenged this approval, the report said, citing that the airline has argued that it could lead to consumer confusion and dilute its brand identity.
In a statement IndiGo said that the “6E” mark is an integral part of its identity for the past 18 years and is a registered trademark that holds strong global recognition.
The “6E” mark, whether standalone or in its variants and formative forms, is extensively used by IndiGo for its offerings and for goods and services provided in collaboration with trusted partners, IndiGo said.
“Any unauthorised use of the “6E” mark, whether standalone or in any form, constitutes an infringement of IndiGo’s rights, reputation, and goodwill,” the airline said.
”IndiGo is committed to taking all necessary and appropriate steps to safeguard its intellectual property and brand identity.”
On a technical level, a lengthy process follows after the initial approval to obtain a final registration
In a stock exchange filing, Mahindra & Mahindra has countered the trademark infringement suit and have stated that the company’s 6E is fundamentally different from Indigo’s “6E,” which represents an airline and that eliminates any risk of confusion.
“The company and Mahindra Electric Automobile Limited (MEAL) have taken on board the concerns that InterGlobe Aviation Limited (“Indigo”) have to infringe of their goodwill, which was not our intention. The company and MEAL are engaged in discussions with them to find an amicable solution,” Mahindra & Mahindra informed the stock exchanges.
The Indian automaker on November 26 launched its electric vehicles on its INGLO electric vehicle architecture platform — BE 6e at ₹18.90 lakh and XEV 9e at ₹21.90 lakh. Further, the company has allocated ₹4,500 crore investment out of the total ₹16,000-crore investment in the F22-F27 cycle including powertrain development, two product top-hats including software and technology, and manufacturing capacity.