SC allows Cognizant to use its logo in India; sets aside HC order

The Supreme Court on Monday (September 6) allowed Cognizant Technology Solutions to use its hexagonal logo in India after a Bombay High Court order that prevented it from using the logo.

It also directed a single judge bench of the Bombay High Court to decide the intellectual property (IP) dispute between Cognizant and Atyati within six months.

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SC sets aside Bombay HC order

The Supreme Court (SC) set aside a Bombay High Court order that had barred Cognizant Technology Solutions from using a mark claimed to closely resemble the registered "ATYATI" device mark of Atyati Technologies, Bar and Bench reported.

A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and R. Mahadevan observed, "The order is set aside. The order dated June 13, 2024, is restored. We are of the opinion that Division Bench erred in passing the order. This order will operate till the single judge decides the matter on merits. We request the single judge to decide the matter in six months. The single judge may decide the case without being influenced by this order."

The ruling came in response to Cognizant’s appeal against the Bombay High Court Division Bench order that had barred the company from using its logo in India.

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Copyright infringement dispute

The dispute centers on allegations of trademark and copyright infringement. Atyati Technologies alleged that Cognizant adopted a logo deceptively similar to its registered ATYATI device mark. The Bengaluru-based fintech claimed it has used its orange hexagonal honeycomb device mark since 2019.

Cognizant, which employs nearly three-fourths of its global workforce in India, has been locked in litigation with Atyati Technologies over the issue.

After hearing both sides, the apex court overturned the division bench ruling and reinstated the earlier Bombay High Court order, that had declined to continue the injunction against Cognizant.

Following the high court order, Cognizant recently removed its logo from major social media platforms including LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and YouTube.