RCB strikes Delhi HC in opposition to Uber advert for alleged trademark disparagement

A view of Delhi Excessive Courtroom.
| Picture Credit score: Sushil Kumar Verma

Indian Premier League cricket workforce Royal Challengers Bengaluru moved the Delhi Excessive Courtroom on Thursday (April 17, 2025) over a YouTube commercial, alleging it disparaged its trademark.

The courtroom, after listening to submissions of events on Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) interim plea for injunction, reserved its order.

Royal Challengers Sports activities Non-public Restricted filed a swimsuit in opposition to Uber India Methods Pvt. Ltd., claiming that Uber Moto’s YouTube commercial titled “Baddies in Bengaluru ft. Travis Head” disparaged its trademark.

RCB counsel stated within the video that the cricketer could possibly be seen operating in the direction of Bengaluru cricket stadium to vandalise the signage of ‘Bengaluru Vs Hyderabad’, spray portray the phrases ‘Royally Challenged’ above the phrase ‘Bengaluru’ on the board.

The counsel argued that making a detrimental remark constituted disparagement. He additional asserted that Uber Moto, because the business sponsor of the Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL workforce, used RCB’s trademark—particularly a “misleading variant” of it—whereas selling its ride-booking service.

Uber’s counsel argued that RCB had “severely discounted” the general public’s sense of humour. He defined that the general message of the commercial was merely {that a} match between RCB and Sunrisers Hyderabad was scheduled on the Bengaluru cricket stadium on Might 13, and given town’s infamous visitors, the general public was inspired to make use of Uber Moto.

Uber’s counsel argued that humour, playfulness, and light-hearted banter are important parts of promoting, and warned that adopting the usual proposed by RCB would successfully “kill” these inventive elements.