Metro Brands secures legal protection for ‘Mochi’ trademark (#1684382)

Metro Brands Limited has secured legal protection for its ‘Mochi’ brand trademark from the Bombay High Court which has declared ‘Mochi’ as a “well-known mark” under the Trademarks Act in response to a trademark infringement case brought forth by the business.

Metro Brands Limited opened a trademark infringement case against footwear brand Nice Shoes LLP to contest its use of the mark ‘DesiMochi’ for its products and on its website, the business announced in a press release. Metro Brands accused Nice Shoes of using a confusingly similar mark to its Mochi label and the Bombay High Court ruled in agreement with this.
 
The court ruled that the DesiMochi brand name could mislead consumers and damage the reputation of Mochi, which has operated in India since 1977. The court ruled that Nice Shoes must transfer the domain ‘www.desimochi.com’ to Metro Brands.
 
“We are pleased with the court’s decision, which reaffirms the strength and recognition of the ‘Mochi’ brand in India,” said Metro Brands Limited’s vice president of legal and company secretary Deepa Sood in a press release. “Metro Brands remains committed to safeguarding its intellectual property and ensuring that its customers are not misled by counterfeit or infringing products.  We will continue to take strong legal measures to protect the integrity of our brands and maintain the trust that our customers have placed in us for decades.”
 
Metro Brands opened its first ‘Metro’ store in Mumbai in 1955 and retails footwear for men, women, and children. The business operates a number of footwear brands including Mochi, Walkway, Da Vinchi, Metro, and J Fontini and also retails third party labels in India including Fila, Crocs, FitFlop, Puma, Adidas, and Skechers among others.