Cos race to slap down surge of copycat websites

An epidemic of rogue websites selling fake products and services has sparked a rash of litigation, as top Indian companies scramble to defend their brands, reputation and intellectual property rights (IPR).

- Krishna Yadav & Pratishtha Bagai

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: In an effort to enhance cybersecurity, many of them are also partnering with external agencies.

In the recent months, leading brands such as JioHotstar, Louis Vuitton, Warner Bros., Domino's and Tata Solar have moved the IPR division of Delhi High Court seeking action against rogue websites. Data from Anand and Anand, a Delhi-based IPR law firm, showed that the Delhi HC, regarded as India's top IPR court, saw as many as 58 such cases in 2024, an increase of 75% from the previous year. Since 2020, the HC has seen 201 cases involving rogue websites.

"The shift to e-commerce during the pandemic, when physical stores took a backseat, created fertile ground for infringers. As India's economy becomes more reliant on e-commerce, the problem continues to grow," noted Swati Sharma, a partner at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, who heads the law firm's IP team.