Copyright Tussle: A Man’s Devotion To His Sister Versus Adidas

Keshav H. Tulsani, rooted in personal affection, always called his elder sister "Adi,” as prevalent in the Sindhi community. His admiration was so deeply rooted that he called himself a servant, that is, a “Das” of his sister. Consequently, the term “Adidas” was coined as a trade name for his textile goods. 

On the other hand, the Adidas brand was created by Adolf Dassler in 1948 by combining his nickname, "Adi," with the first three letters of his last name, "Das." Since 1949, Adidas has been a well-known global brand for sporting goods.

Adidas claimed that Tulsani is using their brand name on their products, which is causing confusion among consumers. The court agreed with Adidas, stating that the use of the "Adidas" name by Tulsani is likely to confuse people about the origin of the goods. Tulsani did not provide enough evidence to show they were using the name honestly or had used it first.

The entities have been involved in a legal tussle over the use of the mark since 1992 before several forums, including the Bombay High Court.

As a result, the court ruled in favour of Adidas and issued a permanent injunction, which permanently stopped Tulsani from using the mark "Adidas.”