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Indian Express
06-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Delhi HC rejects IPL franchise RCB's plea against Uber's Travis Head ad, cites ‘sportsmanship' and ‘lighthearted humour'
The Delhi High Court Monday refused to temporarily restrain ride-hailing company Uber India from running an advertisement allegedly disparaging the trademark of Indian Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The 52-second ad by Uber India, the official ride partner for IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), features Australian cricketer Travis Head. In the ad, Head is seen riding an Uber bike, claiming himself to be a 'Hyderabaddie', introducing himself with a cheeky smile, and then asking ' Bengaluru ' if they were '… …ready for a headache', a wordplay of his name. He then enters a stadium with an accomplice and uses spray paint to write 'Royally Challenged' above Bengaluru on a signage. Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited, the company that owns RCB, had filed a suit against Uber India claiming that the advertisement, titled 'Baddies in Bengaluru ft. Travis Head', disparages its trademark. Justice Saurabh Banerjee, who reserved the order on April 17, rejected the interim injunction application filed by RCB, noting that the advertisement does not call for any interference at this stage. He ruled that the 'ad is in the context of a game of cricket, a game of sportsmanship, which, in the opinion of this court, does not call for interference'. The court held that the ad was 'one of a healthy banter and good-natured lighthearted humour without any elements of disparagement and/ or infringement', and further opined that the ad 'is at best only a creative depiction of matter(s) of fact which tries to give a taste of humour to the viewers'. Justice Banerjee recorded that there is 'no prima facie case of disparagement and/or infringement of trademark' made out by RCB, and that neither is it a case of any kind of irreparable harm, loss and injury likely to be caused to RCB if a temporary injunction is not granted in its favour. The court opined that it 'does not, and in fact cannot find anything wrong' with the 'intent, manner and message' of the ad, 'especially when seen with the overall spirit, or the purpose, or the context or the underlying reasoning therein'. The court took into account that the ad is in the context of a game of cricket, a sport where the players, viewers, followers 'have their own respective genre, space, devotion, bias and tolerance, as the case may be from stage to stage and time to time, depending upon the situation(s) involved, and have their own preferred manners of engagement with the game'. 'The contours of disparagement and/or infringement while dealing with an impugned advertisement relating to a game of cricket cannot be given such a restrictive meaning or viewed by a narrow spectacle,' it said.
India Today
05-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
High Court dismisses RCB's plea for injunction on Uber's 'Hyderabaddie' ad
The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a plea by Indian Premier League cricket team Royal Challengers Bengaluru seeking an interim injunction on an alleged disparaging YouTube advertisement of Uber Moto featuring Sunrisers Hyderabad's cricketer Travis Saurabh Banerjee said the advertisement does not call for any interference at this stage."The impugned advertisement is in the context of a game of cricket, the game of sportsmanship which, in the opinion of the court, does not call for any interference of this court at this stage while considering the "More so, since, in a case like the present one, interference by this court at this stage would tantamount to ... allowing the plaintiff to run on water with assurances of their not falling. Accordingly, the application is dismissed," the court said,The court pronounced the order on an interim application by RCB and the detailed order is Challengers Sports Private Limited filed a suit against Uber India Systems Pvt Ltd claiming that Uber Moto's YouTube advertisement titled "Baddies in Bengaluru ft. Travis Head" disparages its describing the video advertisement, RCB's counsel said the cricketer could be seen running towards Bengaluru cricket stadium with an aim to vandalise the signage of "Bengaluru Vs Hyderabad", takes a spray paint and writes "Royally Challenged" before Bengaluru making it "Royally Challenged Bengaluru" which disparages RCB's lawyer contended that when a negative comment is made, there is disparagement and added that Uber Moto, being the commercial sponsor of Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL team, while promoting its product of booking a ride, used RCB's trademark in the course of its trade, that too its "deceptive variant", which was impermissible under counsel representing Uber said RCB had "severely discounted" the sense of humour of the public at counsel said good humour, sense of fun and banter are intrinsic to advertising messaging and these factors "will be killed" if such a standard, as mooted by RCB, is advertisement, by then, had garnered 1.3 million views and a number of comments from users on the social media platform.
Hindustan Times
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Delhi HC dismisses IPL team RCB's plea to stop Uber Moto's ad with Travis Head
NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Monday dismissed a plea by Indian Premier League cricket team Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) seeking an interim injunction against an advertisement of bike taxi service Uber Moto 'Ride like a Hyderabaddie ft. Travis Head' that was claimed to be disparaging to RCB. According to RCB's plea for interim injunction, the advertisement, which features Sunrisers Hyderabad's cricketer Travis Head, has the Australian cricketer running towards Bengaluru cricket stadium to vandalise the signage of 'Bengaluru Vs Hyderabad'. Head is seen using spray paint to write 'Royally Challenged' before Bengaluru, making it 'Royally Challenged Bengaluru' which disparages RCB's mark. Justice Saurabh Banerjee declined to grant an interim relief, noting that the court was not inclined to direct Uber to take down its advertisement 'at this stage'. 'The impugned advertisement is in the context of a game- cricket, a game of sportsmanship which in the opinion of this court does not call for any interference of any sort at this stage,' the bench said. A detailed order is yet to be uploaded. In its suit, argued by advocate Shwetasree Majumder, the IPL team said Uber's actions of using Sunrisers Hyderabad's 'Travis Head' as a character in the video disparaged its mark, since Head wrote 'Royally Challenged' Bengaluru in place of 'Bengaluru'. Majumder also argued that UberMoto illegally used a 'deceptive variant' of RCB's trademark in the advertisement which had garnered over 1.3 million views. Uber's counsel said that the general messaging of the advertisement was to promote Uber Moto, in the context of the May 13 match between RCB and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bangaluru — a city known for its gridlocked roads and traffic congestion.
Economic Times
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Economic Times
Delhi HC refuses to bar Uber from running disparaging IPL ad that allegedly picks on RCB
Royal Challengers Bengaluru took Uber India to the Delhi High Court. The issue was a disparaging advertisement featuring Travis Head. The ad promoted Uber's bike taxi service. It allegedly disparaged Royal Challengers Bengaluru's trademark. The court observed that some changes might be needed. It reserved its verdict on removing the ad. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Popular in Sports The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to bar Uber from running alleged disparaging IPL advertisement that picks on Indian Premier League cricket team Royal Challengers Bengaluru , saying impugned ad does not call for any Saurab Banerjee said that interference at this stage would tantamount allowing RCB's owner of Royal Challengers Bengaluru last month dragged ride-hailing platform Uber India Systems to the Delhi High Court over a 'disparaging' advertisement featuring Travis Head , an Australian cricketer playing for rival IPL team Sunrisers Challengers Sports (RCS) in its petition said Uber India's YouTube advertisement titled "Baddies in Bengaluru ft. Travis Head" to promote its bike taxi service disparaged its trademark. In a segment of the viral video, the Australian and his 'gang' are seen writing "Royally Challenged" on a signage at a Bengaluru stadium and making a quick escape on an Uber Saurabh Banerjee during the hearing observed that 'prima facie, there is something which requires some changes'. The court reserved its verdict on the interim prayer to take down the ad till the matter is finally said Uber India, the commercial sponsor of Sunrisers Hyderabad team, used Royal Challengers Bengaluru's trademark in the course of its trade, that too its deceptive variant, which is not permissible in the comments of fans on the YouTube video leaves no doubt that Uber India was picking at the Bengaluru team, RCS counsel Shwetasree Majumder said, adding: "You are using a deprecatory variant of my trademark. Everyone in the fanbase understands that you are taking a dig at RCB.'Counsel Saikrishna Rajagopal, appearing for Uber, said RCS had a 'severely and massively discounted sense of humour of the viewing public. Travis Head is simply saying RCB will be Royally Challenged in the upcoming May 13 match in Bengaluru,' he said, adding that the ad was just promoting Uber India's bike as a faster transportation alternative in Bengaluru's notorious traffic to reach the stadium on case is covered by commercial free speech which cannot be injuncted, the Uber counsel said, adding that the suit was "preposterous" and Royal Challengers Bengaluru should 'combat humour with humour and not with a lawsuit'.
Deccan Herald
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Deccan Herald
Delhi HC junks RCB's plea for interim relief against Uber ad featuring Travis Head
The ad featured Australian cricketer Travis Head, and saw them deface a board by adding 'Royally Challenged' above 'Bengaluru', in seeming reference to RCB.
