Delhi HC fines Google ₹30 lakh over trademark use
The Delhi High Court has imposed a ₹30 lakh fine on Google for infringing the trademark rights of Hindware by allowing competitors to use its name as an advertising keyword. The court ruled that Google's actions amounted to 'free-riding' on Hindware's reputation without consent. This ruling could significantly impact the online advertising market and set a precedent for similar cases in the future.
- ▪The Delhi High Court found Google guilty of trademark infringement for allowing rivals to use the term 'Hindware' as an ad keyword.
- ▪Justice Mini Pushkarna directed Google to pay the fine within eight weeks and prohibited it from using Hindware-related terms as advertising keywords.
- ▪The court rejected Google's claim to safe harbour protection, stating that it actively facilitated keyword-based advertising and profited from Hindware's reputation.
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| Original publisher | Hindustan Times — Top |
| Canonical URL | https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/delhi-hc-fines-google-30-lakh-over-trademark-use-101780082106826.html |
| Publication time | Sat, 30 May 2026 06:04:07 +0530 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-30T00:51:45.367Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-30T00:51:45.367Z |
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| Summary source text | contentText |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Delhi HC fines Google ₹30 lakh over trademark useThe Delhi High Court fined Google ₹30 lakh for allowing rivals to use "Hindware" as an ad keyword, ruling it infringed trademark rights.Published on: May 30, 2026 6:04 AM ISTBy Shruti Kakkar, New DelhiShare viaCopy link The Delhi high court has found Google guilty of infringing the trademark rights of a bathroom fittings maker by allowing rivals to use its name as an advertising keyword, and imposed a ₹30 lakh fine on the tech giant, in an order that could have far-reaching effects on the online advertisement market.Delhi HC fines Google ₹30 lakh over trademark useGoogle was found to have allowed rival companies of India’s Hindware to use the term “Hindware” as a keyword to target their own advertising, without the company’s consent, which…
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