The Battle over ‘Pe’: Phone Pe v/s Bharat Pe

NEWS

The Battle over ‘Pe’: Phone Pe v/s Bharat Pe

By Pallavi Paul

The Delhi High Court has dismissed an interim injunction plea by Phone Pe against Bharat Pe for using the suffix ‘Pe’ in the company’s brand name. Both the parties are digital payment companies, the applications of which can be downloaded via Google Play and Apple Play Store. Phone Pe had claimed that Bharat Pe have copied all the distinguishing and essential features of their registered trademark so as to confuse the public into presuming an association between the two marks and en-cash on their goodwill and reputation.

NEWS

By Pallavi Paul

The Delhi High Court ruled in favor of Bharat Pe and stated there was insufficient evidence to come to a definitive conclusion that ‘Pe’ suffix would in the public consciousness, indelibly be associated with Phone Pe and as a matter of fact, both the marks are not deceptively/phonetically similar as well because ‘Phone’ and ‘Bharat’ are two entirely different words. By misspelling ‘Pay’ as ‘Pe’ the legal position cannot change. The tussle between the two platforms have been going on since 2018.

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