Indian Supreme Court Leaves Harpic Bottle TM Dispute to High Court

On September 18 the Supreme Court of India refused special leave petitions filed by Reckitt Benckiser seeking to reinstate an ad-interim injunction against Godrej Consumer Products. The dispute concerns alleged infringement of Reckitt’s distinctive Harpic bottle and cap device mark and claims of disparagement arising from Godrej’s competing toilet cleaner launched in October 2025. The Calcutta High Court Division Bench had earlier set aside the injunction. The Supreme Court held that no conclusive findings had been made and left all issues open for the single judge to decide after pleadings, without being influenced by prior observations. The order preserves the status quo pending full trial on trademark rights, packaging similarity, and advertising claims.

The case involves major consumer brands in the Indian cleaning products market and centers on trade dress protection for bottle shapes and caps. It will now return to the Calcutta High Court for further proceedings on the merits of infringement and disparagement allegations.

Sources: https://www.bwlegalworld.com/article/supreme-court-refuses-to-interfere-in-harpic-bottle-trademark-dispute-599146 https://www.law360.com/intellectual-property-uk