Elon Musk’s Tesla is suing an Indian battery maker over copyright infringement after the Indian company used the brand name “Tesla Power” to promote its product.
In the lawsuit, the electric vehicle company is seeking unspecified damages and a permanent injunction from its Indian namesake. According to the court filing, Tesla said that the battery maker had continued to use the brand name despite a cease-and-desist notice sent to it in April 2022.
The lawsuit came days after the US-based car manufacturer conducted a major layoffs, which impacted at least 500 employees.
What ‘Tesla Power’ told the court
During the hearing held in the New Delhi High Court this week, the Indian company argued that its main business is to make “lead acid batteries” and has no intention of making electric vehicles, Reuters reported.
Tesla, on the other hand, told the judge that it discovered that the Indian company was using its brand name in 2022. The company accused the Indian firms of using trade names “Tesla Power” and “Tesla Power USA”.
They supported their argument by sharing screenshots of a website that showed that Tesla Power USA LLC was headquartered in Delaware and had been “acknowledged for being a pioneer and leader in introducing affordable batteries” with “a very strong presence in India”. Musk’s Tesla is also incorporated in Delaware.
After hearing both sides, the judge allowed “Tesla Power” three weeks to submit a written response on the matter along with a set of documents in support of its defence. The case will be next heard on May 22.
Meanwhile, a Tesla Power representative told Reuters that the company had been operating in India much before Musk’s Tesla and had all government approvals. “We have never claimed to be related to Elon Musk’s Tesla,” Tesla Power’s Manoj Pahwa averred.
The case comes after the Tesla CEO cancelled his planned visit to India on April 21 where he was scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Days after the change of plans were announced, the billionaire made a surprise visit to China, a move which is seen by many as a snub to India.
With inputs from Reuters.
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