Coca-Cola has decided to withdraw the registration of the Maaza trademark in countries outside India. The move is expected to bring down the curtains on the current trademark row with Ramesh Chauhan-owned Bisleri.
The development assumes significance as Chauhan threatened to drag Coca-Cola to court if the latter did not agree to its objection over the registration of the Maaza trademark in other countries. While Chauhan had sold the trademark rights of Maaza to Coke in India, it did not do the same for overseas.
”The issue is over. We have sent a written statement to Cola Cola stating that we will not register Maaza trademark in other countries,” a Coca-Cola spokesperson told FE.”Though Chauhans have not entered into a non-compete agreement with Coca-Cola restraining us from unbridled expansion, still we have decided not to register the trademark outside India. Morally we are not registering because he doesn’t want us to register outside,” the spokesperson added.
However, Ramesh Chauhan, chairman of Bisleri International, denied receiving any such statement from Coca?Cola. ”Coca-Cola has not sent us anything written statement. What they are saying is absolutely false”, Chauhan told FE.
He said that Coca-Cola admitted that it had contravened the intellectual property rights (IPR) and tried to register Maaza trademark in Turkey which it later withdrew.
Ramesh Chauhan has sought a compensation of $5 million from Coca-Cola for IPR violation with regard to Maaza. Chauhan accused Coca-Cola of ‘stealing’ the IPR for Maaza and infringing agreements dating back to 1993 and 1994, which were signed between The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) and Aqua Minerals ? now Bisleri.
