Pune court grants interim relief to Kirloskar Brothers in trademark dispute

The Pune District Court has given an interim relief to Sanjay Kirloskar-led Kirloskar Brothers Limited (KBL) in its trademark dispute against Atul and Rahul Kirloskar-led Kirloskar Proprietary (KPL).

The court restrained KPL from using the legacy "Kirloskar" trademark, marking a pivotal ruling in the ongoing legal battle between the two factions over intellectual property rights within the Kirloskar Group.

KBL argued that the "Kirloskar" trademark was originally owned by KBL and transferred to KPL under a family arrangement aimed at safeguarding group intellectual property. According to KBL, this arrangement mandated registered user agreements to ensure continued use of the trademark by group companies. KBL maintained that these agreements were indeterminable and integral to the family arrangement.


The company alleged that KPL’s termination notices in 2018 and 2024 violated this arrangement, thereby nullifying the trademark assignment and reverting ownership to KBL.

KPL contended that the agreements were determinable and cited multiple breaches and non-compliance by KBL as reasons for termination. While KPL has had to create a new trademark for companies led by Atul and Rahul Kirloskar, KBL continues to use the original trademark.

The court rejected KPL’s claims, asserting that the agreements were tied to the broader family settlement and could not be terminated arbitrarily. It emphasized that unjust termination would render the assignment agreements invalid.

ET’s e-mailed queries to both parties - KBL and KPL – remained unanswered until the publication of this report.

This dispute is part of a larger conflict between siblings Sanjay, Atul, and Rahul over the 2009 Deed of Family Settlement (DFS). The matter is being litigated across various courts, including the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court, with this ruling serving as a crucial development in the case.