Donald Trump

Kotak Mahindra Bank

Delhi High Court

Kotak Mahindra

Sudhanshu Batra



Nearly six years ago,, frontrunner of US Presidential elections, once suedfor trademark infringement and demanded hefty damages. He had filed a law suit against the bank for launching a credit card called-Trump, a move that he saw as violation of his trademark.In the suit filed in the, Trump's lawyers demanded that the bank be immediately restrained from issuing credit cards of this name and claimed "statutory and equitable rights over the trademark TRUMP".According to court’s record, Trump was in a three year legal fight with the bank which ended in a settlement, robbing the judges a chance to test the merits of Trump's legal case in an Indian court, and deliver a verdict.After the case meandered for some time, both Trump andwere ready to give settlement a shot to resolve the issues between them. The HC then appointed a mediator which was senior advocateand sent their dispute to the Delhi High Court mediation cell."The parties submit that they would be willing to sit across the table and explore the possibility of a settlement by recourse to mediation. In view of the above, it is directed that the parties through their authorized representative shall appear in the Delhi high court mediation and conciliation centre on 25th February, 2011 at 4.30 pm," one of the HC orders had said."Trump was very categorical that the name TRUMP can't be used at all. But because of absence of his physical presence the case couldn't be taken to its logical conclusion in mediation," Batra told TOI.Apart from that, Trump wasn’t present at even any of the video conferences to take up the issue. With mediation efforts failing to break the impasse the case again reached the judges and it was only in 2013 that talk of out of court settlement gained momentum. Court records show that in August 2013 the HC warned Trump and Kotak Mahindra if they fail to settle by October, the court will frame issues and adjudicate.It was finally in the end of October 2013 that a settlement was agreed upon. Later, the bank renamed the Trump Card and launched a fresh brand.(image:IndiaTimes)