Facebook vs Facebake is only the latest in a series of trademark wars

IPR laws in India and the challenge of staying ahead of violators

Earlier this week, the Delhi High Court permanently restrained a Bengaluru-based cake shop from using the name “Facebake” or “Facecake”, or in fact any other Facebook trademark, after Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook, went to court.  

This wasn’t the first such case. And it is unlikely to be the last.

Dozens of flea markets, Delhi’s Chor Bazaar being one, for instance, sell clothes, shoes, watches and colognes named after world-renowned brands. Popular coffee chains, mineral water brands, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies and many others have had to grapple with violations of intellectual property rights (IPR).

So, where do we