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Informist, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026

 

NEW DELHI – In a relief to Siyaram Silk Mills Ltd., the Bombay High Court in an interim order has restrained Stanford Siyaram Fashion Pvt. Ltd. from using 'Siyaram' or any other deceptively similar name as part of its company name and in relation to textile piece goods, ready-made garments, and other allied goods or services. The high court said there was no dispute that Siyaram Silk Mills was the registered proprietor of the word mark 'Siyaram', with registration dating back to 1986. Stanford Siyaram's claim for the use of the word 'Siyaram' was only from the year 2006, which was well after the plaintiff had obtained registration of the trademark, said the court.

 

It is also clear and beyond the pale of doubt that Stanford Siyaram's adoption of 'Siyaram' was "dishonest" and with the full knowledge of the plaintiff's prior use and immense reputation and goodwill, the court said. This is clear from the material placed by the defendant, which shows that its alleged predecessor advertised and sold products of several well-known brands, including 'Siyaram', as an authorised dealer, after which Stanford Siyaram subsumed the entirety of Siyaram Silk's mark into the defendants' corporate name and trademark, said the high court.

 

Siyaram Silk Mills' reputation and goodwill was such that its tagline "Come home to Siyaram" was indelibly etched in public memory, the court said. Thus, for someone in an identical trade as Siyaram Silk Mills to suggest that the plaintiff lacked or has failed to establish goodwill is entirely untenable, said the high court. One cannot be unmindful of the fact that the customers would be from a cross section of society, many of whom would, on seeing 'Siyaram' in Stanford Siyaram's mark, immediately associate the same with Siyaram Silk Mills' goods, the court added.

 

The contention that the defendant cannot be injuncted from using "Siyaram" since it is the name of a Hindu God is also entirely misplaced, said the high court, adding that the issue had been already dealt by the courts earlier. There is no provision in the Trade Marks Act, 1999, prohibiting registration or enforcement of marks comprising names of the Hindu Gods or deities, said the high court.

 

The petitioner said that since the year 1977, the promoters of Siyaram Silk Mills were engaged in the textile trade under the trademark 'Siyaram' and have been openly, continuously, and extensively using the trademark as well as the trading and corporate name in relation to textile goods, including suiting and shirting. The petitioner said that it was widely known across India by its name and trademark 'Siyaram' and was among the largest producers of blended suiting and shirting fabrics in the country, annually manufacturing over 30 mln metres of fabric, all of which is marketed and sold under the name and trademark 'Siyaram'. 

 

In 2007, the petitioner learnt that the defendant had been incorporated under the name and style "Stanford Siyaram Fashion Pvt. Ltd." and it was using the trademark "Apricott – a Product of Stanford Siyaram Fashions Pvt. Ltd." in respect of the business and manufacturing of textiles and allied products. Thereafter, the petitioner filed a permanent injunction suit in the high court to restrain the defendant from infringing its trademark.

 

Wednesday, the shares of Siyaram Silk Mills Ltd. ended 0.7% lower at INR 606.10 on the National Stock Exchange.  End

 

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Vandana Hingorani

 

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