Delhi HC orders suspension of 126 websites allegedly using Jio trademark
The Delhi High Court has ordered the suspension of 126 websites illegally using the Jio trademark for fraudulent lottery and gaming services.
In a major crackdown on digital trademark infringement, the Delhi High Court has ordered the immediate suspension of 126 websites that were allegedly using Reliance Industries Limited’s ‘Jio’ trademark to promote illegal lottery and gaming services.
The court’s decision comes as a significant blow to operators running deceptive platforms that mimic the branding of one of India's most prominent telecommunications brands. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav passed the interim order on October 7 following a trademark infringement lawsuit filed by Reliance Industries Limited.
The 'Rogue Website' Crackdown
Upon reviewing the case, the court observed that these websites appeared to meet the criteria of "rogue websites" as defined in previous Delhi High Court judgments regarding online piracy and infringement. Rather than just looking at the volume of infringing content, the court applied a qualitative assessment to determine if the primary purpose of these sites was to deceive the public.
The list of suspended domains includes various deceptive combinations such as:
- Jio Lottery
- Jio Lottery Game
- Other similar variations designed to mislead consumers.
The court has directed domain name registrars to ensure these websites remain suspended until further orders are issued. Additionally, Google has been ordered to disable access to and take down specific infringing webpages hosted on its Blogger platform.
Protecting the Jio Brand Identity
Reliance Industries argued before the court that it holds exclusive statutory and common law rights over the registered ‘Jio’ trademark. The company alleged that the defendants were using the ‘Jio’ name as a central feature of their domain names and websites to offer:
- Lottery services
- Gaming platforms
- Payment-related services
The company contended that this unauthorized use was not only likely to cause widespread confusion and deception among the public but also threatened to dilute the value of its trademark and cause significant harm to its commercial interests.
Legal Implications and Next Steps
To facilitate the investigation, the court has impleaded domain name registrars to preserve and disclose critical information, including registrant details, account information, contact details, and billing or payment data related to the infringing websites.
The Union government, through the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Department of Telecommunications, has also been named as a defendant in the suit. The court has strictly restrained the primary defendants from registering, operating, or promoting any marks that are identical or deceptively similar to the ‘Jio’ trademark.
The matter has been registered as a commercial suit. The defendants have been given 30 days to file written statements, with the next hearing scheduled for November 30. The suit will also appear before the Joint Registrar on December 10 for the marking of exhibits.