{"id":10505,"date":"2025-10-23T10:47:04","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T10:47:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/?p=10505"},"modified":"2025-10-30T02:10:02","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T02:10:02","slug":"phonetic-similarity-and-likelihood-of-confusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/phonetic-similarity-and-likelihood-of-confusion\/","title":{"rendered":"Phonetic Similarity and Likelihood of Confusion"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 id=\"case-fact\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fact_Trademark_Infringement_Case_Alkem_Laboratories_Ltd_Vs_Alchem_International_Pvt_Ltd\"><\/span>Fact: Trademark Infringement Case: Alkem Laboratories Ltd. Vs. Alchem International Pvt. Ltd<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The plaintiff, <strong>Alkem Laboratories Ltd.<\/strong>, is a pharmaceutical company incorporated in 1973, engaged in the development, manufacture, and sale of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products. The plaintiff owns the registered trademark <strong>&#8220;ALKEM&#8221;<\/strong> and has been using it continuously since 1973.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/phonetic-similarity-and-likelihood-of-confusion\/#Fact_Trademark_Infringement_Case_Alkem_Laboratories_Ltd_Vs_Alchem_International_Pvt_Ltd\" >Fact: Trademark Infringement Case: Alkem Laboratories Ltd. Vs. Alchem International Pvt. Ltd<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/phonetic-similarity-and-likelihood-of-confusion\/#Procedural_Details\" >Procedural Details<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/phonetic-similarity-and-likelihood-of-confusion\/#Dispute\" >Dispute<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/phonetic-similarity-and-likelihood-of-confusion\/#Detailed_Reasoning\" >Detailed Reasoning<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/phonetic-similarity-and-likelihood-of-confusion\/#Similarity_of_Marks\" >Similarity of Marks<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/phonetic-similarity-and-likelihood-of-confusion\/#Acquiescence_and_Delay\" >Acquiescence and Delay<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/phonetic-similarity-and-likelihood-of-confusion\/#Honest_Concurrent_User\" >Honest Concurrent User<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/phonetic-similarity-and-likelihood-of-confusion\/#Product_Similarity_and_Likelihood_of_Confusion\" >Product Similarity and Likelihood of Confusion<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/phonetic-similarity-and-likelihood-of-confusion\/#Use_of_the_Mark\" >Use of the Mark<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/phonetic-similarity-and-likelihood-of-confusion\/#Balance_of_Convenience_and_Irreparable_Harm\" >Balance of Convenience and Irreparable Harm<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/phonetic-similarity-and-likelihood-of-confusion\/#Decision\" >Decision<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/phonetic-similarity-and-likelihood-of-confusion\/#Disclaimer\" >Disclaimer<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/phonetic-similarity-and-likelihood-of-confusion\/#Written_By\" >Written By<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>The defendant, <strong>Alchem International Pvt. Ltd.<\/strong>, incorporated in 1982, provides plant-derived active ingredients and Ayurvedic extracts, selling products under the mark <strong>&#8220;ALCHEM&#8221;<\/strong>. The defendant has been using this mark since 1985, primarily in export markets until it started retailing in India in 2006.<\/p>\n<p>The plaintiff sent a cease-and-desist notice in 2005 after discovering the defendant&#8217;s expanded use of the mark, leading to the filing of the present suit in 2018 for trademark infringement, passing off, and related reliefs.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"procedural-details\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Procedural_Details\"><\/span>Procedural Details<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The suit seeks a <strong>permanent injunction<\/strong> restraining the defendant from infringing the plaintiff&#8217;s trademark &#8220;ALKEM&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li>The plaintiff filed <strong>interim injunction applications<\/strong> starting in 2018 to maintain status quo on the defendant&#8217;s use and advertising of the mark &#8220;ALCHEM&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li>The defendant filed an <strong>application to vacate<\/strong> the interim order.<\/li>\n<li>The parties were referred to <strong>unsuccessful mediation<\/strong> in 2022.<\/li>\n<li>Judgment was <strong>reserved on July 11, 2025<\/strong> and pronounced on <strong>October 10, 2025<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"dispute\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dispute\"><\/span>Dispute<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The core dispute revolves around the alleged trademark infringement and passing off by the defendant through its use of the mark &#8220;ALCHEM,&#8221; which the plaintiff claims is phonetically and visually similar to the registered mark &#8220;ALKEM.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The plaintiff contends that the defendant&#8217;s use causes confusion among consumers, infringing their rights. The defendant denies infringement, asserting:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Concurrent use<\/strong> of its mark since 1985.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bona fide adoption<\/strong> derived from &#8220;Alkaloids&#8221; and &#8220;Chemicals&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Non-overlapping product lines<\/strong> initially limited to bulk drugs and exports.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Acquiescence and laches<\/strong> due to plaintiff\u2019s delay in filing the suit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"detailed-reasoning\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Detailed_Reasoning\"><\/span>Detailed Reasoning<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 id=\"similarity-of-marks\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Similarity_of_Marks\"><\/span>Similarity of Marks<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The Court observed that the marks &#8220;ALKEM&#8221; and &#8220;ALCHEM&#8221; are <strong>phonetically identical and visually similar<\/strong> to a deceptive extent. The plaintiff, having adopted and registered &#8220;ALKEM&#8221; since 1973, is the <strong>prior user and proprietor<\/strong>, whereas the defendant adopted &#8220;ALCHEM&#8221; in 1982 and began retail sales in India only after 2006. The defendant\u2019s trademark registrations remain ungranted in India.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"acquiescence-delay\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Acquiescence_and_Delay\"><\/span>Acquiescence and Delay<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The Court referred to settled principles from precedent cases, noting that <strong>mere silence or delay<\/strong> by the plaintiff does not amount to acquiescence unless there is <strong>positive encouragement<\/strong> of the defendant\u2019s use.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The plaintiff issued <strong>cease-and-desist notices<\/strong> and filed oppositions against the defendant&#8217;s applications.<\/li>\n<li>This negated any claim of acquiescence.<\/li>\n<li>The Court held that <strong>delay and laches cannot bar injunctions<\/strong>, especially where public interest and likelihood of confusion exist.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 id=\"honest-concurrent-user\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Honest_Concurrent_User\"><\/span>Honest Concurrent User<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The defendant\u2019s claim of honest concurrent user status was rejected. The Court noted:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The defendant knew of the plaintiff\u2019s prior use and registration.<\/li>\n<li>The expansion into retail overlapping with the plaintiff\u2019s range post-2005 demonstrated intent to <strong>capitalize on the plaintiff\u2019s goodwill<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 id=\"product-similarity\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Product_Similarity_and_Likelihood_of_Confusion\"><\/span>Product Similarity and Likelihood of Confusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The Court found that both parties dealt in <strong>overlapping pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products<\/strong> distributed through similar trade channels. Consumer confusion was likely, especially among:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Average consumers<\/li>\n<li>Medical practitioners<\/li>\n<li>Pharmacists<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 id=\"use-of-mark\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Use_of_the_Mark\"><\/span>Use of the Mark<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The defense that &#8220;ALCHEM&#8221; was used only as a source identifier was contradicted by evidence showing:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Extensive advertising<\/li>\n<li>Prominent display on packaging<\/li>\n<li>Standalone use of the mark<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Hence, the defendant\u2019s use was likely to cause confusion, violating <strong>Sections 29(5) and 29(6)<\/strong> of the <strong>Trade Marks Act, 1999<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"balance-of-convenience\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Balance_of_Convenience_and_Irreparable_Harm\"><\/span>Balance of Convenience and Irreparable Harm<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The Court held that allowing continued use by the defendant would cause <strong>irreparable harm and confusion<\/strong> to both the plaintiff and the public.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"decision\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Decision\"><\/span>Decision<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The Court granted an <strong>interim injunction<\/strong> restraining the defendant, its associates, and agents from using the mark &#8220;ALCHEM&#8221; or any deceptively similar mark in relation to pharmaceutical or medicinal products in India, except in respect of manufacturing and sale of <strong>Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs)<\/strong>, where the plaintiff consented to such use.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Case Title<\/th>\n<td>Alkem Laboratories Ltd. Vs. Alchem International Pvt. Ltd.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Order Date<\/th>\n<td>October 10, 2025<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Case Number<\/th>\n<td>CS(COMM) 1050\/2018<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Neutral Citation<\/th>\n<td>2025:DHC:8992<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Court<\/th>\n<td>High Court of Delhi at New Delhi<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Hon\u2019ble Judge<\/th>\n<td>Mr. Justice Amit Bansal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 id=\"disclaimer\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Disclaimer\"><\/span>Disclaimer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The information shared here is intended to serve the public interest by offering insights and perspectives. Readers are advised to exercise discretion when interpreting and applying this information. The content herein is subjective and may contain errors in perception, interpretation, and presentation.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"author\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Written_By\"><\/span>Written By<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Advocate Ajay Amitabh Suman<\/strong>, IP Adjutor (Patent and Trademark Attorney), High Court of Delhi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fact: Trademark Infringement Case: Alkem Laboratories Ltd. Vs. Alchem International Pvt. Ltd The plaintiff, Alkem Laboratories Ltd., is a pharmaceutical company incorporated in 1973, engaged in the development, manufacture, and sale of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products. The plaintiff owns the registered trademark &#8220;ALKEM&#8221; and has been using it continuously since 1973. The defendant, Alchem International<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"two_page_speed":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[336,841],"class_list":{"0":"post-10505","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-intellectual-property","7":"tag-delhi-high-court","8":"tag-trademark-law"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10505","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/56"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10505"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10505\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10505"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10505"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10505"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}