Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) secures a big win. It has achieved a notable triumph in the prolonged dispute over the ownership of KSRTC trademarks and acronym, which was also used by Kerala SRTC. The dispute, which involved both Karnataka and Kerala State Road Transport Corporations (SRTCs), reached a resolution with the Madras High Court dismissing Kerala SRTC's claim for exclusive use of the KSRTC acronym.
The roots of the conflict lie in the fact that both Karnataka and Kerala SRTCs have been using the acronym 'KSRTC' for decades. However, the legal ownership now firmly rests with Karnataka, as the corporation successfully registered the acronym and its logo with the Controller General of Patents, Designs, and Trademarks.
The Madras High Court ruling emphasized that there is no legal prohibition for the use of 'KSRTC' by the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, thereby settling the contentious issue in favor of Karnataka.
KSRTC, in a statement, revealed that it had obtained Trade Mark Certificates from the Trade Mark Registry of the Government of India in 2013, with a user date as early as November 1, 1973. Additionally, the corporation secured copyright for the use of the 'KSRTC' logo and the 'Gandabherunda art.'
The legal tussle extended to the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) at Chennai, where Kerala SRTC challenged KSRTC's trademark registration. KSRTC argued that Kerala SRTC was well aware of the prolonged usage of the trademark by Karnataka SRTC over 42 years, making their claim for registration invalid.
With the dismissal of Kerala SRTC's application by the High Court of Madras, the legal path is now clear for Karnataka SRTC to continue using the name 'KSRTC' without legal impediments.
