The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed appeals by FIITJEE and the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi against a single-judge order that had directed the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to put up disclaimers at its FIITJEE/IIT metro station stating that the two institutes are “not connected”.
A Bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V.K. Rao said that the single-judge’s order to put up disclaimers was “reasonable” and told IIT-Delhi to file a suit of patent/trademark infringement if it was not satisfied.
IIT-Delhi and coaching centre FIITJEE are embroiled in a legal battle over naming of a metro station adjacent to IIT campus. The DMRC has since 2014 been auctioning naming rights of several of its stations to generate revenue.
IIT-Delhi had sought directions to the DMRC not to use its name in conjunction with that of FIITJEE for the metro station there, claiming it was tarnishing the image of the premier engineering institute.
In July, the single-judge Bench had directed the DMRC to put up disclaimers that the coaching centre was in no manner connected to IIT-Delhi.
Modify disclaimer
Agreeing with the single Bench order, the High Court said: “There is a disclaimer. Everyone knows what FIITJEE stands for. A reasonable order has been passed. If you [IIT-Delhi] feel the name is being misused, file a suit for patent or trademark. We are not going to interfere”.
FIITJEE had challenged the single judge’s direction on the grounds that the disclaimer cannot say it was “not connected” to IIT-Delhi as the coaching centre had a connection. It sought for the disclaimer to be modified to say “no business relations”.
IIT-Delhi , in its appeal, contended that it does not want its name to be used in connection with the coaching centre at the metro station opposite the institute. It claimed that the co-branding of the station name was “an attempt to gain publicity” at the expense of the IIT-Delhi.
IIT-Delhi has maintained that the “co-branding” was misleading people to think that the institutes had entered into a partnership. FIITJEE, however, argued that both institutes have been in existence for over 40 years and till now there has been no such confusion regarding their roles.