NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has issued notice to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after Delhi Press Patra Prakashan, publisher of the well-known children’s magazine Champak, filed a lawsuit alleging trademark infringement. The matter concerns a robotic dog, recently introduced as an attraction during the Indian Premier League (IPL), which BCCI has named ‘Champak’.
The case was heard by Justice Saurabh Banerjee on Wednesday, who scheduled the next hearing for July 9.
Appearing for Delhi Press, Advocate Amit Gupta argued that Champak has long been a favourite among children and the cricket board’s use of the same name for a promotional product constitutes unauthorised use of a registered trademark. “This robotic dog, powered by artificial intelligence, was introduced earlier in the IPL season, but it was officially named ‘Champak’ on April 23 following what BCCI claims was a fan poll,” Gupta said.
He also pointed out that media outlets had been regularly covering the robotic dog, adding to its visibility.
The court queried what actual harm the publisher was claiming. In response, Gupta maintained that the use of the name was unauthorised and that alone was problematic.
During the proceedings, the judge also brought up ‘Chiku’, a known character from the Champak series and also the nickname of cricketer Virat Kohli. Gupta acknowledged that ‘Chiku’ indeed featured in the magazine. The court then questioned why no legal action had been initiated over that usage. “You clearly knew about this. Why was no legal step taken then?” the judge asked.
Gupta responded that nicknames often stem from popular fictional characters, particularly in comics and films. However, he insisted that the BCCI’s use of ‘Champak’ amounted to commercial exploitation. “There’s no specific claim or evidence of dilution or damage on record,” the court observed.