Trademark Battle: Baazi Group Secures Injunction Against Infringing Gambling Sites

Trademark Battle: Baazi Group Secures Injunction Against Infringing Gambling Sites

The Delhi High Court has issued an order restraining gambling websites, including BaaziAdda and Baazi247, from accessing and using infringing domain names. Additionally, the Court has directed Domain Name Registrars (DNRs) to suspend multiple infringing domain names.

In response to a trademark infringement suit filed by Baazi Group, the Court has taken action against several rogue gambling websites that were operating in India using deceptive domain names and branding. The Court observed that these unidentified gambling site operators were engaging in cyber-squatting and leveraging advanced SEO techniques to redirect user traffic to their infringing websites, where they offered illegal gambling and betting services.

Baazi Group presented evidence demonstrating that the owners of these gambling platforms have no physical presence in India yet actively promote and provide prohibited casino, gambling, and betting services within the country. The Court also acknowledged the advisories issued by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, which strictly prohibit the promotion and endorsement of online gambling and betting platforms in India.

Given the blatant violation of Indian laws and the significant financial harm caused to Baazi Group, the Court granted an ex-parte ad interim injunction, preventing these gambling websites from accessing, using, modifying, or transferring their infringing domain names.

Furthermore, the Court noted that Domain Name Registrars such as GoDaddy and Namecheap are enabling the sale of infringing domain names, contributing to the losses suffered by Baazi Group. As a result, the Court directed the registrars to suspend access to the infringing domain names and to disclose the ownership details of each domain listed in the Court’s order.