.l.R. KAPOOR A
\',
M/S. M!CRONIX INDIA
AUGUST 10, 1994
[P.B. SA\VANT AND S.C. AGRAWAL, JJ.j B
Constinition of India-A1tic/e I 36-lntelim Order of High Cowt by
irhich one parry inj1111cted from using trade mark. logo and canon-Validity
of-Two trade names being 'MICROTEL' and 'MICRONIX' wi1h logos-
Phoenetically 1vords in trade 11a111es being totally dissin1i/a,-Visual in1pres- c
sion of nv·o nan1e also different-Visual effect of both logos not san1e on 1ni11d
of buyers-No chance of buyers and users being misguided or co1:f11sed-
Hl/1ether High Coun 1vas right in exercising its jurisdiction in granting i11terin1
injunction restraining appellant fron1 using his tfade nan1e, logo and carton.
Both the respondent-plaintiff and the appellant-defendant manufac- D
tore and sell various electrical and electronic goods, apparatus and instru~
ments etc. The appellant was one of the partners of the firm, viz. M/s.
Micronix India alongllith respondent. The firm had a registered trade
mark, viz., 'MICRONIX' and logo 'IM' 'I' being shown in the well of 'M'
and both letters being in black and white colours. The partnership was E
dissolved and under the terms of the compromise the said trade mark was
allotted to the respondent. The appellant started his own busineso of
manufacturing the same products, in the name and style of M/s. Microtel-
matix with the trade name 'MICROTEL'. Both the logo 'M' and the trade
name were in colour, viz., blue and red respectively.
F
The plaintiff filed for injunction against the use of the trade name
'MICROTI:L', the logo 'M' and the packaging carton. The High Court
granted the injunction. Hence this appeal by special leave.
Allowing the appeal, this Court
G
HELD : 1.1. The word 'micro' being descriptive of the micro technol-
ogy used for production of many electronic goods, no one can claim
monopoly over the use of the said word. Anyone producing any product
with the use of micro chip technology would be justified in nsing the said
word as a prefix to his trade name. The users of such products are, H
567
568 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1994] SUPP. 2 S.C.R,
A therefore, not likely tn be misguided or confused by the said word.
[570-E. Fl
1.2. The only question which has to be p1ime facie decided at this
stage is whether the words 'tel' and 'nix' in the trade names of the appellant
and respondent are deceptive for the buyers and users and are likely to
B misguide or confuse them in purchasing one for the other. Phonetically the
words being totally dissimilar are not going to create any such confusion
in the mind of the users. Secondly, even the visual impression of the said
two trade names is different. The respondents' trade name 'MICRONIX'
is in black and \\'hite in slimmer letters and they are ensconced in designs
of elongated triangles both above and below the said name. The appellant's
c trade name 'MICROTEL' is in thick bold letters in red colour without
any design around. [570-G, H, 571-A]
1.3. As regards the logo, the respondent's logo consists of the word
'M' in a slim letter with 'I' sporting a dot on it and drawn in the well of
D 'M'. Below the letter 'M' in small letters is written the word
'MICRONIX'and all these letters and words are written in white in a black
square in north-south direction. As against this, the appellant's logo is one
letter, viz., 'M' which is dra>1n in bold broad letter>1ith its left leg slimmer
then all other parts which are in thick broad brush. The letter has also
white lines drawn across it which is in blue colour. There is no other colour
E
nor is it set against any background. The Court is unable to see how the
visual effect of both the logos will be the same on the mind of the buyers.
There is not even the remotest chance of the buyers and users being
misguided or confused by the two trade names and logos. Same is the case
with carton which merely reprodnces both the trade names and the logos.
F [571-B, C]
· 1.4. The observations made above are only for deciding whether the
appellant would be restrained from using the trade mark, the logo and the
carton, at this interim stage. The High Court will not be precluded from
coming to a different conclusion at the final hearing. [572-A]
G
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No. 2253 of
1994.
From the Judgment and Order dated 15.10.93 of the Delhi High
H Court in FA.0. (OS) No. 229 of 1993.
J.R. KAPOOR v. MICRO NIX INDIA [SA WANT. 1.J 569
S.V. Deshpande and Sudhanshu Batra for the Appellant. A
AK. Goel, Mr. Wills Mathews, M.K.D. Namdoodry and Ms. Bindu
Tamta for the Respondent.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
B
SAWANT, J. This appeal is directed against an interim order of the
High Court by which the appellant is injuncted from using the trade mark
'MICROTEL, the logo 'M' and the carton for manufacturing and selling
his products which consist of electrical and electronic apparatus, instru-
ments, TV boosters and TV tuners. C
2. We have heard the learned Counsel on both sides. We also
examined the trade marks and logos as well as the cartons used by both
the parties for selling their respective products. We also examined the
relevant authorities on the subject, cited by the learned counsel.
D
3. The undisputed facts are that both the respondent-plaintiff as well
as the appellant ~defendant manufacture and sell various electrical and
electronic goods, cable TV, aerial boosters, solid state boosters etc. The
appellant was one of the partners of the firm, viz., M/s. Micronix India
along with the respondent- plaintiff. The firm was manufacturing and
selling the said electrical-and electronic products, apparatus and instru-
E
ments etc. since 21st September, 1977. The said firm had a registered trade
mark, viz., 'MICRONIX' and logo 'IM' 'I' being shown in the well of 'M'
and both letters being in black and white. The trade mark also in black and
white colours. The partnership was dissolved on 14th February, 1992 by a
consent order filed in Suit No. 494 of 1991 instituted in the Court of F
Sub-Judge, Delhi. Under the terms of the compromise the said trade mark
was allotted to the respondent-plaintiff. Thereafter, the appellant-defen-
dant started his own business of manufacturing more or less the same
products, in the name and style of M/s. Microtelmatix with the trade name
'MICROTEL'. He took simple M as his logo with the letter and back- G
ground designed completely differently. Both the logo 'M' and the trade
name 'MICROTEL' were in colour, viz., blue and red respectively.
4. The respondent-plaintiff thereafter filed the present suit and
sought for injunction against the use of the trade name 'MICROTEL', the
logo 'M' and the Packing carton. The learned. Single Judge granted the H
570 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1994] SUPP. 2 S.C.R.
A injunction and the Division Bench dismissed summarily the appeal filed
against the same. Hence the present appeal by special leave.
5. At this stage, we are concerned only with the question as lo
whether the High Court was right in exercising its jurisdiction in granting
interim injunction restraining the appellant from using his trade name, logo
B and the carton. Therefore, the finding recorded and the observations made
herein have to be confined to the present proceedings. The suit is still
pending and final conclusions will have to be arrived at after perusal of the
evidence produce by both sides.
c There are two thing; which impress us. Firstly, the appellant is not
manufacturing any one product such as the boosters, which has been
mainly taken into consideration by the High Court. He is producing various
electrical and electronic apparatus in many of which micro-chip technology
is used. Even the boosters which he manufactures and sells are of two
D types, viz., transistorised boosters and Integrated Circuit boosters whereas
the respondent- plaintiff manufacturers aerial boosters only of the first
type. Thus micro-chip technology being the base of many of the products,
the word 'micro' has much relevance in describing the products. Further,
the word 'micro' being descriptive of the micro technology used for
production of many electronic goods which daily come to the market, no
E one can claim monopoly over the use of the said word. Anyone producing
any product with the use of micro chip technology would be justified in
using the said word as a prefix to his trade name. What is further, those
who are familiar with the use of electronic goods know fully well and are
not only likely to be misguided or confused merely by, the prefix 'micro' in
F the trade name. Once, therefore, it is held that the word 'micro' is a
common or general name descriptive of the products which are sold or of
the technology by which the products are manufactured, and the users of
such products are, therefore, not likely to be misguided or confused by the
said word, the only question which has to be prima facie decided at this
stage is whether the words 'tel' and 'nix' in the trade names of the appellant
G and the respondent are deceptive for the buyers and users and are likely
to misguide or confuse them in purchasing one for the other. According to
us, phonetically the words being totally dissimilar are not going to create
any such confusion in the mind of the users. Secondly, even the visual
impression of the said two trade names is indifferent. In the first instance,
H the respondent's trade name 'MICRONIX' is in black and white in slimmer
J.R. KAPOOR v. MICRONIX INDIA [SAW ANT. l.] 571
letters and they are ensconces in designes of elongated triangles both above A
and below the said name. On the other hand, the appellant's trade name
'MICROTEL' is in thick bold letters in red colour without any design
around. As regards the logo, the respondent's logo consists of the word
'M' in a slim letter with 'I' sporting a dot on it and drawn in the well of
'M'. Below the letter 'M' in small letters is written the word 'MICRONIX'
B
and all these letters and words are written in white in a black square in
north-south direction. As against this, the appellant's logo is one letter, viz,.
'M' which is drawn in bold broad letter with its left leg slimmer than all
other parts which are in thick broad brush. The letter has also white lines
drawn across it which is in blue colour. There is no other Jetter nor is it
set against any background. We are, therefore, unable to see how the visual C
effect of both the logos will be the same on the mind of the buyers. This
being the case, we are of the view that there is not even the remotest chance
of the buyers and users being misguided or confused by the two trade
names and logos. Same is the case with the carton which merely reproduces
both trade names and the logos. D
The learned counsel for the respondent-plaintiff contended that on
the carton the same address, viz, "New Delhi-110020", has been given by
the appellant. We are unable to understand how anybody can claim
monopoly in the said address. He also tried to show us that there was a
similarity in the words and letters in the two cartons inasmuch as the E
respondent-plaintiffs carton mentioned the words "MODEL TB-212 (in-
door type)" while the appellant has also mentioned the words "MODEL
MT-212 (Indoor Unit)". Hence, he submitted that there was a resemblance
to the extent of the word "MODEL" and the figure "212".0n a perusal, we
do not find any such resemblance between the two descriptions. He then F
submitted that whereas the respondent-plaintiff had mentioned the words
"Best for Colour Black and White TVs & FM Radio" with a black rectan-
gular background of the word 'White' before the words "TVs and FM
Radios", the appellant has also mentioned words "For Colour/Black &
White TVs. and FM Radios". Again, we do not find that the manner in
which the said words are written by both the parties on their respective G
cartons are likely to misguide or confuse the buyers. This is apart from the
fact that whereas the respondent-plaintiffs carton is in black and white the
appellant's carton is fully in colour.
6. Hence we allow the appeal and set aside the impugned order of H
572 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1994] SUPP. 2 S.C.R.
A the High Court. It is made clear that the observations made above are only
for deciding whether the appellant should be restrained from using the
trade mark, the logo and the carton,at this interim stage. The High Court
will not be precluded from coming to a different conclusion at the final
hearing on perusing the entire evidence before it. The costs will be the
costs in the cause.
A!.G. Appeal allowed.