Amazon to Pay $39 Million in Trademark Case
An Indian court has ordered Amazon to pay $39 million in damages for infringing the “Beverly Hills Polo Club” (BHPC) trademark. The ruling, delivered by the Delhi High Court on Wednesday, marks one of the highest damages awarded against a U.S. company in an Indian trademark case.
The lawsuit was filed in 2020 by Lifestyle Equities, the owner of the BHPC horse trademark, which alleged that Amazon’s India website listed apparel featuring a nearly identical logo at lower prices. The infringing brand was owned by Amazon Technologies and sold on the platform, according to the court order.
Amazon Faces Legal Challenges in Multiple Countries
Amazon has denied any wrongdoing, and spokespersons for the company in both the U.S. and India did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. The Delhi High Court noted in its 85-page order that the logos used on the disputed products were “hardly distinguishable” from the original BHPC mark.
The ruling also emphasized that Amazon was well aware of BHPC’s exclusive rights, given its involvement in trademark litigation in multiple jurisdictions, including the UK. In a similar case, Amazon lost an appeal last year after a UK court found it had infringed British trademarks by targeting consumers through its U.S. website.
Growing Scrutiny of Amazon’s Business Practices in India
The verdict comes amid broader scrutiny of Amazon’s operations in India. A 2021 Reuters investigation revealed that Amazon had engaged in systematic practices of creating knockoff products and manipulating search results to promote its private labels in India.
India’s antitrust authorities have also accused Amazon of violating competition laws by giving preferential treatment to select sellers, allegations the company denies. Meanwhile, in November, India’s financial crime agency raided offices of sellers on Amazon and Flipkart as part of a probe into foreign investment rule violations.
Praveen Khandelwal, a lawmaker from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), called for stricter action against Amazon, accusing the company of “predatory business practices.”
Legal experts say the enforcement of the Indian judgment in U.S. courts will be closely watched. Aditya Gupta, a partner at India’s Ira Law, called the ruling a “significant precedent” in India’s legal landscape.
With the permanent injunction in place, Amazon will now have to ensure stricter trademark compliance in its operations, both in India and globally.
With inputs from Reuters
