Prathiba M. Singh, J. (Oral)
1. This hearing has been done through hybrid mode.
2. The present suit relates to various domain names and other online media usage of the mark ‘AAJ TAK’, ‘AB TAK’ and various other similar marks/names to that of the Plaintiff’s mark/name ‘AAJ TAK’.
3. The mark ‘AAJ TAK’ has been repeatedly protected in various proceedings. In the present suit, vide order dated 24th September, 2020, an ex parte injunction was granted against the use of the domain names www.newsaajtak.co.in, www.aajtaknewsdaily.com, www.newsaajtaklive.com and www.aajtakreport.com.
4. Further domain names were also included and the injunction order dated 24th September, 2020 was also extended to the said domain names vide order dated 6th September, 2021 read with order dated 17th September, 2021.
5. The Plaintiffs have also impleaded numerous Domain Name Registrars (DNRs) and other platforms where the infringing use of the name ‘AAJ TAK’, including its content, was observed. During the pendency of this suit, all the domain names and other instances of infringing use of the Plaintiffs’ mark at the following links has been either removed or disabled. A complete status report dated 20th November 2023 as handed over by the ld. Counsel for the Plaintiffs is set out below:
|
S. No. |
Defendant No. |
Infringing website/ profile/ channel. |
Screenshots from weblinks Updated status as on 20.11.2023 |
Status |
|
1. |
Defendant No. 1 |
NewsAajTak
|
www.news-aajtak.co.in
https://www.facebook.com/Newsaajtakonline/
https://twitter.com/mpcgnewsaajtak
|
Website, Twitter and Facebook profile disabled. |
|
2. |
Defendant No. 2 |
AAJTAK NEWS DAILY - Websites |
www.aajtaknewsdaily.com
D2’s new website – www.aajtaknewsdaily.in (I.A. No. 3065/2021 under O39 R2A pending)
|
Website disabled. D2’s new website shows this message. Whois says – not been registered yet. |
|
3. |
Defendant No. 4 |
Newsaajtakliv e
|
www.newsaajtaklive.com
https://www.facebook.com/NEWSAAJTAKLIVENT W/ref=page_internal
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxaDLaOlAUoK _gJmP4uGrYg
|
Website and YouTube channel disabled. Facebook profile now disabled. |
|
4. |
Defendant No. 6 |
Aaj Tak Report
|
www.aajtakreport.com
https://www.facebook.com/Aaj-Tak-Report- %E0%A4%86%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4 %95- %E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A 4%9A%E0%A4%B0-101803404936371/
https://www.instagram.com/aajtakreport/
|
Website, Facebook profile and Instagram profile disabled. |
|
5. |
Defendant No. 9 |
Aaj Tak Live - Website |
www.aajtaklive.in
|
Website disabled. Domain first registered with Def.3 (GoDaddy) and now registered with Def.16 (Hosting Concepts B.V.) |
|
6. |
10 |
Aaj Tak India News
|
www.aajtakindianews.com
https://www.facebook.com/aajtakindianews1/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-5jrJioIW- 5ZDB5QUfSlsA/featured
|
Website, Facebook Profile and YouTube channel disabled. |
|
7. |
11 |
E Aaj Tak
|
www.eaajtak.com
https://www.facebook.com/eaajtaknews
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbwVcvsdtX5DC 83Wznep39w/featured
https://twitter.com/eaajtaklang=en
|
Domain name seems inactive. Website can’t be reached. Facebook Profile disabled. YouTube channel renamed and content removed. Twitter profile active. |
|
8. |
Defendant No. 12 |
Zulm aajtak
|
https://www.zulmaajtak.page/
https://www.facebook.com/Zulm-Aaj-Tak-news- 336152670373535/ti=as
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4p8mpWHOa4 OKdKGCDVKZnA/featured
https://twitter.com/zulmaajtak00
|
Website, Facebook profile and YouTube channel disabled. Twitter profile active. |
|
9. |
Defendant No. 14 |
Aaj Tak Hind
|
www.aajtakhind.com
https://www.instagram.com/aajtakhind
https://twitter.com/aajtakhind094 Twitter profile active.
|
Website and Instagram profile disabled. Twitter profile active. |
|
10. |
Defendant No. 15 |
Aaj Tak org. - Website |
https://aajtak.org.in/
|
Access to website denied. |
|
11. |
Defendant No. 17 |
Aaj Tak Solapur
|
www.aajtaksolapur.in
https://www.facebook.com/AajTakSolapur/ref=page_ internal
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRQv4PNjGxOP Wgm7wc6GwTg
https://twitter.com/aajtaksolapurlang=en
https://www.instagram.com/aajtak_solapur/hl=en,
|
Website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram profile and YouTube channel disabled. |
|
12. |
Defendant No. 18 |
Digital Aaj Tak - Facebook profile |
https://www.facebook.com/Digitalaajtak/ref=page_int ernal
|
Disabled. |
|
13. |
Defendant No. 19 |
Bharat Ab Tak News - Facebook profile |
https://www.facebook.com/bharatabtaknews/
|
Disabled. |
|
14. |
Defendant No. 20 |
Aaj Tak News - Facebook profile |
https://www.facebook.com/newzifyofficial/ref=br_rs
|
Disabled. |
|
15. |
Defendant No. 21 |
Aaj Tak News Official - Facebook profile |
https://www.facebook.com/Aaj-Tak-News-Official- 675416789301363/ref=br_rs
|
Disabled. |
|
16. |
Defendant No. 22 |
Live Samachar
- Facebook profile |
https://www.facebook.com/livesamachaar/ref=page_i nternal
https://www.facebook.com/livesamachaar/photos/pb.1 00064494320225.- 2207520000./913114392127210/type=3
https://www.facebook.com/livesamachaar/photos/pb.1 00064494320225.- 2207520000./922041514567831/type=3
https://www.facebook.com/livesamachaar/photos/pb.1 00064494320225.- 2207520000./917101765061806/type=3
|
Facebook profile disabled. |
|
17. |
Defendant No. 23 |
Aaj Tak News
- Facebook profile |
https://www.facebook.com/Aaj-TaK-News- 419173384920351/ref=br_rs
|
Disabled. |
|
18. |
Defendant No. 24 |
Aap Tak - Facebook profile |
https://www.facebook.com/Aap-tak- 113070007053994/ref=br_rs
|
Disabled. |
|
19. |
Defendant No. 25 |
Araria Aaj Tak - Facebook profile |
https://www.facebook.com/Araria-AajTak- 338544463242779/
|
Disabled. |
|
20. |
Defendant No. 27 |
Aaj Tak News Jahanabad - YouTube channel |
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFsowQfxB0zZD Czm-ZJLbsQ/featured
|
Disabled. |
|
21. |
Defendant No. 28. |
Aaj Tak News - YouTube channel |
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxPXd08FsF2OD 8a5eIfCTVA/featured
|
Disabled. |
|
22. |
Defendant No. 29. |
MP Aaj Tak - YouTube channel |
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6IXoyHzqHtR9 We7D4iYSBA/featured
|
Disabled. |
|
23. |
Defendant No. 30 |
Only Aaj Tak - YouTube channel |
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB4PGmInXtrcc OMWs4asc8Q
|
Disabled. |
|
24. |
Defendant No. 31 |
Aaj Tak Hindi - YouTube channel |
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5M6f4bVqMgF KWYpg-qrv9A
|
Disabled. |
|
25. |
Defendant No. 32 |
Hindustan Aaj Tak - YouTube channel |
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvvcSxwbn1gyjb 8DgVPsUZQ
|
Disabled. |
|
26. |
Defendant No. 33 |
AAJ TAK PK - YouTube channel |
https://www.youtube.com/c/AAJTAKPK/featured
|
Disabled. |
|
27. |
Defendant No. 34 |
Sanchar Aajtak News - YouTube channel |
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq66W9tGCoxg2 5kmAVHmBLA
|
Disabled. |
|
28. |
Defendant No. 35 |
M. Aajtak - YouTube channel |
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdmY- mZL_Dm_Kf9Zx8XfIrA
|
Disabled. |
|
29. |
Defendant No. 36 |
Aaj Tak Haryana - YouTube channel |
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLOK8uyf8q1mn SqpAv9nMoA
|
Disabled. |
6. Even Defendant No. 16- Hosting Concepts B.V. is stated to have complied with the order of suspension. Vide affidavit dated 25th July 2023, the authorised signatory of Defendant No. 16 has deposed as under:
“4. On becoming aware of these orders, Hosting Concepts immediately acted upon them by: (i) suspending the domain names 'aajtaklive.in' and ' aajtak.org.in'; and (ii) sending an email dated July 19, 2023 to the Plaintiff’s counsel, informing them of the suspension of the two domain names. A copy of the email dated July 19, 2023 sent by Hosting Concepts to the Plaintiff's counsel is annexed herewith and marked as Document-2. A copy of the WHO IS details of the domain names aajtaklive.in and aajtak.org.in, showing that these domains have been suspended, is annexed herewith and marked as Document-3.”
7. In view of the above status report indicating that the use of the mark ‘AAJ TAK’ has been disabled on all channels, and the domain names have been either suspended, locked or blocked, the suit shall stand decreed against the Defendant Nos. 1, 2, 4, 9 to 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20 to 25 and 27 to 37. The said Defendants are permanently restraining from using the mark ‘AAJ TAK’ or any other deceptively similar or identical mark, in any manner whatsoever for media, news, entertainment, or any other similar services.
8. Insofar as the DNRs are concerned, the DNRs/the platforms including YouTube and Facebook shall continue keeping the infringing account disabled. It is submitted by Ms. Shweta Sahu, ld. Counsel that some domain names have already expired and already have been released. This statement is taken on record and if any domain names have been so released and subsequently registered through any other DNR, the DNR in the present suit would no longer be responsible.
9. The application under Order XXXIX Rule 2A CPC being I.A 3065/2021 is no longer pressed and is accordingly disposed of.
10. The suit is decreed in the above terms. Let the decree sheet be drawn up. All pending applications are also disposed of.
