Court Blocks Bengaluru Eatery from Using ‘Carnatic’ Name

A Bengaluru restaurant has been barred from using the word “Carnatic” after a Delhi court found it deceptively similar to the registered trademark of Carnatic Cafe, a well-known restaurant chain based in the capital.

The dispute arose after Lemonpepper Hospitality Pvt Ltd, which runs a restaurant in Bengaluru, used the mark “Carnatic” for its food business. The Delhi-based owner of Carnatic Cafe filed a trademark infringement and passing-off suit, arguing that the Bengaluru outlet was unfairly benefiting from the reputation and goodwill built by the brand.

In an order dated October 29, District Judge Neelam Singh ruled in favour of Carnatic Cafe, observing that the plaintiff had “successfully established infringement” of its registered mark. The court found that the defendants had engaged in acts of passing off and unfair trade practices by adopting a deceptively similar name.

The judge issued a permanent injunction, restraining Lemonpepper Hospitality and its directors, employees, or agents from using the mark “Carnatic” or any other identical or confusingly similar term for restaurant or allied services. The order also barred them from using the domain name www.carnaticrestaurant.com or any other website containing the disputed mark.

As part of the ruling, the court awarded Rs 50,000 as compensatory and deterrent damages, along with Rs 10,000 towards litigation costs, to the owner of Carnatic Cafe.

The verdict underscores the growing emphasis on trademark protection in India’s food and hospitality industry, where brand identity has become central to customer trust and market recognition.