According to details of the proceedings posted on the court website on Friday, Tesla stated at a hearing at the Delhi High Court this week that the Indian company had continued advertising its products with the “Tesla Power” brand despite a cease-and-desist notice given in April 2022.
Elon Musk’s automaker Tesla has filed a lawsuit in New Delhi against an Indian battery manufacturer, claiming that that company is violating its trademark by using the name “Tesla Power” to advertise its products. The firm is demanding damages as well as a permanent injunction against Tesla.
During the hearing, Tesla Power India Pvt Ltd, an Indian company, stated that producing “lead acid batteries” is its primary business and that producing electric automobiles is not its objective.
According to the court record, the Indian firm turned over a collection of documents supporting its defense, and the judge gave it three weeks to provide written reply.
The Indian company has been accused of utilizing the trade names “Tesla Power” and “Tesla Power USA” by Musk’s Tesla, which is incorporated in Delaware. A website snapshot that revealed Tesla Power USA LLC had “a very strong presence in India” and was “acknowledged for being a pioneer and leader in introducing affordable batteries” was placed in the court record.
A Tesla Power official informed Reuters that the company has the necessary regulatory permissions and was operating in India long before Musk founded Tesla. Manoj Pahwa of Tesla Power stated, “We have never claimed to be related to Elon Musk’s Tesla.”
Tesla informed the judge that it learned the Indian company was using its trademark in 2022 and that it had tried in failed to prevent it from continuing, which prompted the complaint.
Musk canceled his scheduled trip to India on April 21 in order to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is when the issue started.
A few days later, Musk surprised everyone by traveling to China and accelerating the rollout of its advanced driving assistance package-a move that was viewed by Indian experts as a snub.
On May 22, the Tesla India trademark case is scheduled to be heard again.
