Abhinandan Lodha, Deputy Managing Director, Lodha Group.
Bombay High Court proposed the appointment of a mediator to resolve the alleged case of trademark breach by the House of Abhinandan Lodha (HoABL) over Macrotech Developers’ brand name “Lodha,” in a hearing on Monday (January 27, 2025).
“If it is agreeable I propose to give two weeks and I will appoint a mediator either by consent [among the parties] or otherwise, a mediator,” said Justice Arif Doctor to the parties reasoning that the genesis of the dispute is from two brothers and if that is sorted it would be resolved. The case has been listed again for January 28 for both parties to inform the court as to whether they are agreeable for settlement through a mediator.
Macrotech Developers Ltd, headed by Abhishek Lodha, filed a case of trademark breach on the HoABL and demanded an injunction to the tune of ₹5,000 crore in the Bombay High Court earlier this month. The plaintiff, Macrotech Developers claimed that they owned the brand name Lodha and had spent a significant amount of money to build it.
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After Abhinandan Lodha split and started HoABL, a family settlement agreement in 2017 had forbid the use of the brand name, which the latter at first agreed to comply.
Abhishek Lodha and Abhinandan Lodha are sons of Mangal Prabhat Lodha, the minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship who founded the company in 1980s.
Macrotech in their petition alleged that he later continued to use the word, despite multiple attempts to inform Mr.Abhinandan about the same. The company said that it was critical for them to protect their intellectual property rights and continued use of the word “Lodha” was leading to confusion of Macrotech customers, in a regulatory filing. HoABL maintained that the suit filed was because Macrotech Developers and its CEO Abhishek Lodha could not digest the success of the newly formed firm.
Published – January 28, 2025 12:12 am IST
