Delhi Court Fines MP Firm Rs 10 Lakh for Jan Aushadhi Trademark Infringement

New Delhi, Oct 16 (PTI) A Delhi court has ordered a Madhya Pradesh entity to pay Rs 10 lakh in damages to Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) for using a name similar to Jan Aushadhi to run its business, according to an official release.

In a landmark victory in a court battle, the New Delhi District court has issued a permanent injunction against a resemblance in name of the organisation operating in the name of 'Jan Aushadhi Sangh' in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers said in a statement.

The firm was deliberately and intentionally using a deceptively similar name of 'Jan Aushadhi', a registered trademark of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), Department of Pharmaceuticals, with malafide intention to create confusion in the mind of the general public and to trade over Jan Aushadhi's goodwill, it added.

The Delhi Court has ordered the violator and its proprietors, partners, etc, to restrain from using the said mark 'Jan Aushadhi' in any manner, it noted.

This ruling protects the integrity of PMBI's brand and ensures consumers receive authentic products at affordable rates through Jan Aushadhi Kendras, which is the main objective of the Pariyojana, the statement said.

"Apart from issuing direction to the violator for delivering all the material bearing the infringement trademark 'Jan Aushadhi' to PMBI for destruction, the court was pleased to order damages of Rs 10 lakhs in favour of PMBI," it added.

The PMBJP scheme was launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals with the objective of making quality generic medicines available at affordable prices to all.

There are currently 13,800 Jan Aushadhi Kendras covering almost all districts of the country.