Delhi High Court Grants Relief to Tata’s Ginger Hotels, Orders Shutdown of Fake Booking Websites

In a significant win for the Tata Group's Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), the Delhi High Court has directed the takedown of several fraudulent websites found misusing the "GINGER" brand name to deceive unsuspecting consumers into making hotel bookings under false pretenses.

The judgment was delivered by Justice Mini Pushkarna, who observed that the actions of the defendants were not only a clear infringement of IHCL's trademark rights, but also potentially criminal in nature. The Court imposed a penalty of ₹20 lakhs on the defendants for their illegal conduct and permanently restrained them from using the "GINGER" brand or any related intellectual property.

IHCL, which operates popular hospitality brands including Taj, Vivanta, SeleQtions, Ginger, and Ama Stays & Trails, approached the Court after discovering that several unauthorised websites were using the GINGER trademark and images of actual Ginger hotels to mislead customers into booking fake stays.

"The defendants’ infringing actions are bound to cause deception and confusion in the minds of unwary consumers," the Court noted, concluding that the case clearly established trademark infringement, passing off, and unauthorised use of copyrighted content.

Justice Pushkarna stated that the conduct of defendants—identified as Ankit Sethi and others—was aimed at misappropriating IHCL’s goodwill and tricking consumers into making payments on fraudulent platforms. The Court held that these actions amount to fraudulent misrepresentation and could result in significant harm to both IHCL and its customers.

The Court emphasized that IHCL has used the GINGER brand continuously since 2005, and its identity is tied closely with consumer trust and service quality. In this context, domain name exclusivity was deemed critical to protect brand value and public interest.

Since the defendants failed to respond to the court notices or file written statements, the Court proceeded with an ex-parte summary judgment on March 3, ruling entirely in IHCL's favour.

Legal representation for IHCL was led by Advocates Priya Adlakha, Sucharu Garg, and Shilpi Sinha. Other appearances included Advocate Shivam Narang for NameCheap, Standing Counsel Santosh Kumar Rout for Punjab National Bank, Advocate Nilendu Vatsyayan for Canara Bank, and CGSC Nidhi Raman representing MeitY and DoT.

The ruling sends a strong message against online brand impersonation and reinforces judicial support for protecting intellectual property in the digital space.