Delhi High Court Rejects Volkswagen’s Challenge to Maruti Suzuki’s ‘TRANSFORMOTION’ Trademark

The Delhi High Court has dismissed an appeal filed by Volkswagen AG against the acceptance of a trademark application submitted by Maruti Suzuki India Limited.

Maruti Suzuki had applied to register the mark “TRANSFORMOTION” in Class 12, which relates to automobiles and related goods. Volkswagen opposed the application, arguing that the mark was similar to its registered trademark “4MOTION,” a branding used by the company for its four-wheel-drive technology in certain vehicles.

The opposition was earlier rejected by the Registrar of Trade Marks. Volkswagen subsequently challenged the decision before the Delhi High Court.

Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora upheld the Registrar’s order and dismissed the appeal. The Court held that the two marks are not deceptively similar when examined as a whole. It noted that the visual structure, pronunciation, and conceptual meaning of the marks differ significantly.

The Court also observed that automobile purchases typically involve a higher degree of consumer attention and deliberation, which further reduces the possibility of confusion between the two marks.
Accordingly, the Court found no grounds to interfere with the Registrar’s decision and allowed Maruti Suzuki’s trademark application to proceed.

Description: The Delhi High Court has dismissed an appeal filed by Volkswagen AG challenging the acceptance of a trademark application by Maruti Suzuki India Limited for the mark “TRANSFORMOTION.” Volkswagen had argued that the mark was deceptively similar to its registered trademark “4MOTION,” which is associated with its four-wheel-drive technology. The company contended that allowing the mark could cause confusion among consumers.

However, the Court upheld the decision of the Registrar of Trade Marks, noting that the two marks are visually, phonetically, and conceptually different when considered as a whole. Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora observed that automobile purchases typically involve careful consideration by consumers, which further reduces the likelihood of confusion between the brands.
The Court therefore found no valid grounds to interfere with the Registrar’s order and dismissed the appeal, allowing Maruti Suzuki’s trademark application for “TRANSFORMOTION” to proceed under trademark law.