More Stories

Informist, Thursday, Apr. 17, 2025

 

--Royal Challengers moves HC against Uber India's 'disparaging' advt on IPL team 

--Royal Challengers urge HC to pass injunction order against Uber India advt 

--HC reserves order on Royal Challengers' interim plea against Uber India 

 

NEW DELHI – Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd., owner of Indian Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru, on Thursday moved the Delhi High Court against Uber India Systems Pvt. Ltd. for a 'disparaging' advertisement featuring Travis Head, a cricketer from Sunrisers Hyderabad. The high court reserved its order on Royal Challenger Sports' interim injunction plea against Uber India.

 

The suit was filed against Uber India's YouTube advertisement titled "Baddies in Bengaluru ft. Travis Head", which has got 1.3 million views at present. The petitioner said that Head, in the advertisement, is seen running towards Bengaluru's cricket stadium with an aim to vandalise the signage of "Bengaluru v. Hyderabad". He then is seen taking a spray paint and writing "Royally Challenged" above Bengaluru, which disparages its trademark. 

 

The petitioner said that the moment a negative comment is made, there is a case of disparagement. Uber India, the commercial sponsor of Sunrisers Hyderabad team, while promoting its bike taxis, used Royal Challengers Bengaluru's trademark in the course of its trade, that too its deceptive variant, which was not permissible under law, the petitioner added. Even the comments of fans on the YouTube video leaves no doubt that Uber India was picking at the Bengaluru team, it said.

 

Uber India said that the petitioner has a severely discounted sense of humour of the public at large. The advertisement is in relation to a match on May 13 between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad. The advertisement was just promoting Uber India's bike as a faster transportation alternative in Bengaluru's notorious traffic to reach the stadium on time, said the ride-hailing company. 

 

In the advertisement, Head is only saying that he is going to give a headache to the other side, said Uber India. The message is that Royal Challengers Bengaluru is going to be "royally challenged" in the May 13 match and that the public should consider using its bike taxis, said Uber India. The case is covered by commercial free speech which cannot be injuncted, said Uber India, adding that the suit was "preposterous" and Royal Challengers Bengaluru should combat humour with humour and not with a lawsuit.  End

 

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Tanima Banerjee

 

For users of real-time market data terminals, Informist news is available exclusively on the NSE Cogencis WorkStation.

 

Cogencis news is now Informist news. This follows the acquisition of Cogencis Information Services Ltd by NSE Data & Analytics Ltd, a 100% subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. As a part of the transaction, the news department of Cogencis has been sold to Informist Media Pvt Ltd.

 

Informist Media Tel +91 (11) 4220-1000

Send comments to feedback@informistmedia.com

 

© Informist Media Pvt. Ltd. 2025. All rights reserved.