Delhi Press Sues BCCI Over Trademark Infringement
Delhi Press’ Claims
Delhi Press, publisher of 31 magazines in nine languages, has sued the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for allegedly violating its registered trademark. The issue arose when the BCCI named a robotic dog used in the Indian Premier League (IPL) broadcast coverage ‘Champak’. The Delhi High Court heard the case on Wednesday.
Amit Gupta, Delhi Press’ lawyer, argued that the AI tool was introduced earlier but named on April 23, supposedly based on fan voting. He emphasized that the publisher owns the trademark and the cricket body is using it without permission.
BCCI’s Defense
Senior advocate J Sai Deepak represented the BCCI. The BCCI’s counsel argued that ‘champak’ is based on the character ‘Champaklal Jayantilal Gada’ from the TV show ‘Tarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma’, not the magazine. Amit Bhatt, a popular actor, plays this character.
Judge’s Reference to Virat Kohli
The judge questioned Delhi Press about not suing Virat Kohli for being called ‘chiku’, a reference to another character in Champak magazine. Amit Gupta argued that the cricketer hasn’t launched a product, whereas the BCCI has, which amounts to commercial exploitation.
BCCI’s Innovation
The robotic dog was introduced during the IPL 2025 match between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians on April 13. It’s a regular feature during the coverage and is seen to have delivered the coin during the toss.
Online Poll Results
The IPL fan poll asked viewers to name the IPL pet during the 33rd match of IPL 2025 between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians in Hyderabad. ‘Champak’ received 76% of the votes, followed by Buddy (10%), Chulbul (7%), and Jaffa (7%).
Next Hearing on July 9
Justice Saurabh Banerjee declined to grant an interim injunction to the publisher. The court will hear the case again on July 9.
