Bombay High Court Restrains ‘Social Tribe’ from Using Similar Name in Trademark Dispute with ‘Social’ Pub Chain

The Bombay High Court has given temporary relief to the well-known restaurant and pub chain ‘Social’, run by Impresario Entertainment and Hospitality Pvt. Ltd., in a trademark case against a Mumbai-based restaurant named ‘Social Tribe’.

The case was heard by Justice Sharmila Deshmukh, who ruled that ‘Social Tribe’ cannot use, sell, advertise, or promote the name ‘SOCIAL’ or anything similar to it — at least until the final decision is made.

Impresario, the company behind the ‘Social’ brand, said that they have been using the name since 2001 and currently run over 50 outlets across India. The company also said that they have more than 100 trademark registrations for the word ‘SOCIAL’ and its different versions, especially for restaurant and hospitality services (Class 43).

The company told the court that the name ‘Social Tribe’ is too similar to their brand and that it could confuse customers. They also claimed that the other business was trying to take unfair advantage of their popularity and goodwill, which has built up over many years. The total turnover of the ‘Social’ brand has reportedly crossed ₹1,500 crores.

Impresario said it had already sent cease-and-desist notices to the owners of Social Tribe back in 2022, asking them to stop using the name. But they received no response, so they decided to take legal action.

The Court agreed that the two names were deceptively similar and that the word “Tribe” did not make it different enough. The judge said that if the new restaurant continued to use the name, it could harm the original brand and mislead people.

In its order, the Court said:

“This is a clear attempt to copy the trademark. The plaintiff (Impresario) has shown strong presence in the market through sales and promotions. If the defendant (Social Tribe) is not stopped, the plaintiff will face serious loss and damage.”

Until the case is fully resolved, the Court has told ‘Social Tribe’ to stop using the name ‘SOCIAL’ or anything that sounds like it, protecting the rights of the original brand.