While granting ex parte injunction in favour of Mahashian Di Hatti Private Limited, the Delhi High Court has restrained unauthorized use of the well-known ‘MDH’ mark and directed domain registrars to suspend infringing websites and disclose operator details. The Court found a prima facie case that various websites, domain names, email IDs and online platforms were misusing the well-known MDH trademark to falsely offer dealership, distributorship and franchise opportunities in the name of the company.
The Court observed that the defendants were using the plaintiff’s registered trademark and associated intellectual property without authorization, creating a likelihood of confusion among consumers and prospective business partners. According to the Court, unsuspecting persons could be induced to invest money on the belief that the dealership and distributorship schemes were officially connected with MDH, exposing them to financial loss while damaging the plaintiff’s goodwill and reputation.
Briefly, MAHASHIAN DI HATTI PRIVATE LIMITED (MDH), one of India’s oldest and most well-known spice manufacturers, instituted a trademark infringement, passing off and copyright infringement suit before the Delhi High Court. The company stated that it is the proprietor of the registered and well-known trademark ‘MDH’, which has been in continuous use for several decades and enjoys extensive goodwill in India and abroad. The plaintiff also relied on its numerous Indian and international trademark registrations and its recognition as a well-known trademark.
According to the plaintiff, during an online market investigation conducted in April 2026, it discovered several websites, domain names, email IDs and social media accounts that were allegedly using the MDH mark without authorization. These platforms were purportedly offering dealership, distributorship, franchise and business opportunities while falsely projecting an association with MDH and its products.
The plaintiff contended that the operators of these platforms had not only incorporated the MDH trademark into domain names and email addresses but had also used the plaintiff’s official address to make their activities appear genuine. It was argued that such conduct was likely to deceive the public, prospective dealers and distributors into believing that the opportunities being offered were officially backed by MDH, thereby exposing them to financial loss and damaging the plaintiff’s reputation and goodwill.
The suit also impleaded the concerned domain name registrars, namely Hostinger Operations UAB, Hosting Concepts B.V. and GoDaddy.com LLC, as well as government authorities including the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for effective implementation of blocking and suspension measures.
A Single Judge Bench of Justice Vikas Mahajan observed that the plaintiff had placed sufficient material on record to show its longstanding rights in the MDH mark and the reputation attached to it. The Court noted that the impugned websites, domain names and email IDs appeared to make unauthorized use of the plaintiff’s trademarks and related intellectual property.
The Court was prima facie satisfied that Defendants 1 to 4 had infringed the plaintiff’s intellectual property rights by adopting and using the MDH mark and associated content without authorization. The Court further observed that the continued operation of the impugned platforms was likely to mislead members of the public into believing that the websites and communications originated from or were connected with the plaintiff.
The Court also took note of the likelihood that unsuspecting consumers and prospective dealers could be induced to invest money on the basis of false representations regarding dealership or distributorship opportunities. Such activities, according to the Court, were capable of causing financial loss to the public as well as serious injury to the goodwill and reputation of the plaintiff.
