The Delhi High Court recently granted an ex parte ad-interim injunction in favour of the Calvin Klein Trademark Trust (Plaintiff) and appointed a Local Commissioner to execute seizure operations at the defendant’s premises, who was found to have been manufacturing & selling apparel bearing deceptively similar Calvin Klein marks. The Court also directed the matter to be listed on December 15, 2025.
A Single Judge Bench of Justice Tejas Karia noted that there was a real and imminent likelihood that the defendant may take immediate steps to dispose of, conceal, or suppress its infringing business operations and digital footprints bearing the deceptively similar trademark, and in view of the plaintiff’s request for urgent ex-parte ad-interim injunction along with appointment of Local Commissioner, granted exemption from advance service to the defendant.
The Bench therefore issued a comprehensive restraint order directing that until the next hearing date, the defendant, its proprietors, partners, directors, principal officers, employees, agents, distributors, stockists, wholesalers, retailers, dealers, assigns and all persons acting on its behalf were restrained from manufacturing, marketing, advertising, offering for sale, selling, soliciting, exporting, displaying or dealing in socks or any identical, allied, cognate or related goods bearing plaintiff’s Calvin Klein marks or any mark identical or deceptively similar thereto.
The Bench also provided a detailed mandate for the Local Commissioner, including powers to inspect and seize impugned products, obtain account details, take photographs and video graphs, break open locks with police assistance if access is denied, and ensure peaceful execution without disrupting the defendant’s business except for commission purposes. Additionally, the Bench directed that the order shall be uploaded on the Court’s website only after execution of the commission is completed, ensuring effective execution and preventing any potential evasion by the defendant.
Briefly, in this case, during a market survey conducted in July 2025, the plaintiff, a Delaware-based Trust managing trademark rights for Calvin Klein Inc., discovered that the defendant was manufacturing and selling socks bearing the Calvin Klein logo at his manufacturing unit and warehouse situated at Pooth Khurd, Delhi. The plaintiff’s authorized investigator visited the defendant’s premises and found the items deceptively similar to Calvin Klein marks under the business name ‘S.S. Products’.
Accordingly, the plaintiff filed a commercial suit seeking a permanent injunction against defendant Ashok Kumar for trademark infringement and passing off. While seeking protection, the plaintiff established that it has been engaged in manufacturing and distributing lifestyle products, including apparel, watches, eyewear, and accessories, under various Calvin Klein marks since 1967.
Appearances:
Advocates Pramod Kumar Singh, Aastha Sharma, Priya Nagpal, and Armaan Bhardwaj, for the Plaintiffs
NA, for the Defendants
