Delhi High Court Grants Interim Protection To Aaj Tak Logo, Bars Look-Alike Digital News Branding

Delhi High Court Grants Interim Protection To Aaj Tak Logo, Bars Look-Alike Digital News Branding

Introduction

The Delhi High Court has granted ex parte interim protection to the iconic Aaj Tak logo, restraining a digital news platform from using a deceptively similar colour scheme and visual presentation. The Court held that prima facie imitation of a well-known trademark’s distinctive elements warranted immediate injunctive relief to prevent consumer confusion.

Factual Background

Living Media India Limited, the parent company of the news channel Aaj Tak, is the proprietor of the Aaj Tak trademark, first used in 1995. The mark is widely recognised across India and is included in the official list of well-known trademarks maintained by the Trade Marks Registry. The Aaj Tak logo is particularly identified by its distinctive red, white and black colour combination and border styling, which has acquired substantial goodwill and public recognition.

In 2025, Living Media discovered that a digital news channel operating under the name “Charcha Aaj Ki” was offering news services on the JioTV platform and across social media. While the channel name differed, its logo and overall visual presentation closely resembled the Aaj Tak logo.

Procedural Background

Living Media instituted a trademark infringement suit before the Delhi High Court, alleging unauthorised use of a deceptively similar logo amounting to infringement and passing off. An application for ad-interim relief was moved. The defendant did not appear at the initial stage, and the matter was considered ex parte.

Issues

1. Whether the use of a similar red-white-black colour scheme and border design by “Charcha Aaj Ki” constituted prima facie trademark infringement of Aaj Tak’s logo.

2. Whether interim injunctive relief was warranted to prevent deception and consumer confusion.

Reasoning and Analysis

Justice Jyoti Singh noted that Aaj Tak is a well-known trademark, enjoying enhanced statutory protection. The Court found that the defendant’s logo substantially replicated the distinctive visual elements of the Aaj Tak logo, particularly the colour combination and outline borders, which form the essential identifying features of the mark. The Court held that such imitation, even if used alongside a different channel name, was likely to mislead viewers into assuming an association or endorsement by Aaj Tak. This was sufficient to establish a prima facie case of infringement and passing off.

At the same time, the Court balanced equities by clarifying that the defendant could continue using the programme name “Charcha Aaj Ki”, provided it did not employ the impugned logo or visual elements resembling Aaj Tak’s branding.

Decision

The Delhi High Court granted an ex parte ad-interim injunction, restraining “Charcha Aaj Ki” from using Aaj Tak’s distinctive red-white-black colour combination and border styling on its logo across social media platforms, websites or any other medium. The restraint will operate until further orders of the Court, while permitting the defendant to retain the programme name without the infringing visual identity.

In this case the plaintiff was represented by Mr. Rahul Beruar, Ms. Nidhi Jain, Ms. Manini Sidhu and Ms. Aeshna Raghuwanshi, Advocates.