Granting a dynamic injunction to Reliance, the Delhi High Court has restrained unauthorised sellers on major ecommerce platforms from misusing ‘Reliance’ and ‘Jio’ trademarks
Reliance Industries has secured a dynamic injunction from the Delhi High Court against several unauthorised sellers and major ecommerce platforms. The injunction bars the sale of products falsely bearing the trademarks ‘Reliance’ and ‘Jio’ and extends not only to known infringers but also to those who may be discovered during the proceedings.
Justice Saurabh Banerjee, who passed the order on 10 July 2025, noted that there is deep commercial value and reputation attached to the trademarks ‘Reliance’ and ‘Jio’. The court held that unauthorised sellers were copying essential elements of Reliance’s branding including logos, colour schemes, and packaging styles to pass off their products as original Reliance goods.
Reliance discovered a number of listings on platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, Meesho, Indiamart, MyDukaan, and VyapaarTimes. These listings displayed products such as poha, makhana, lentils, wheat flour, and other grocery items under the ‘Reliance’ and ‘Jio’ marks, without any authorisation from the company. Further, it noted that many of these listings were linked to specific sellers, while others operated under fictitious names.
The court held that such imitation was not only misleading but dangerous because many of these products are consumed by the general public. It held that there is risk of confusion for rural consumers who rely heavily on brand logos and packaging when deciding to purchase such products. Reliance, through its extensive retail operations and online channels, already sells similar goods under its well-known trademarks. This, according to the court, increased the likelihood that consumers would be deceived into believing the counterfeit products were genuine.
The court held that, “Moreover, the product of defendant nos.1 to 21 are sold through online ecommerce platforms where consumers rely on brand name and logos to identify the origin of goods, in such circumstances, if any confusion between such products, if allowed to continue, could risk consumer safety. Therefore, in such a circumstances, this court has to adopt a more cautious and stringent approach for judging the likelihood of confusion and to exercise greater care.”
The court directed ecommerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, Meesho, Indiamart, MyDukaan, and VyapaarTimes to immediately delist infringing product pages and share all relevant information about the sellers with Reliance. This includes postal and email addresses, contact numbers, bank details, and any other available data.
This type of relief often referred to as a Dynamic++ Injunction by the court is notable because it goes beyond named parties. It allows Reliance to notify the platforms of any additional infringing listings in the future, which they must then act upon swiftly.
Reliance argued that the infringing sellers were deliberately attempting to pass off their goods as those of Reliance to benefit from the reputation and trust the brand has built over decades. The mark ‘Reliance’ was adopted as far back as the 1960s and is registered across multiple trademark classes. The trademark ‘Jio’ was adopted in 2011 for telecom services and has since become a brand associated with a wide range of products from connectivity and cloud to digital commerce, education, and retail.
Both trademarks have been recognised as well-known marks by courts. The Supreme Court has previously observed ‘Reliance’ as a well-known mark, and the Bombay High Court has acknowledged similar observations for ‘Jio’.
The court accepted the argument that such unauthorised use amounted to trademark infringement, copyright violation, and deliberate passing off. It also noted that the infringing packaging closely mirrored Reliance’s original branding, including artistic features like the flame logo and specific fonts. In a market where customers often cannot verify the seller’s identity online, such visual imitation can cause serious confusion.
The court held that a more cautious and strict approach is necessary when dealing with products like packaged food. The injunction will remain in effect until the next hearing, scheduled for 13 November 2025. Reliance Industries Limited was represented by Ankit Sahni and Kritika Sahni, Partners, Chirag Ahluwalia, Senior Associate, Mohit Maru, Associate (of Ajay Sahni & Associates).
