RCB sues against Uber India for unauthorised use of franchise name

The Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd (RCB) has sued Uber India at the Delhi High Court alleging unauthorised use of their franchise name in a recently released advertisement featuring Hyderabad Sunrisers player Travis Head.

The lawsuit refers to the advertisement – – released on April 5. The ad featuring Travis Head, a former RCB team member, shows him entering a stadium’s logistics room and spray-painting the words “Royally Challenged Bengaluru Vs Hyderabad.” Head then escapes with his friend in an Uber Moto and the ad ends.

The video has garnered over 1.7 million views so far.

Also Read

RCB argued that the ad is a deliberate distortion of their official name. “This is a targeted attempt to mock and dilute the identity of Royal Challengers Bengaluru,” the counsel appearing for RCB said at the High Court.

Uber India, in its response, rejected RCB’s trademark allegations, stating, “There is no direct use of the plaintiff’s registered trademarks such as ‘Royal Challengers Bengaluru’. The reference to ‘Bengaluru vs Hyderabad’ is generic and does not amount to infringement.”

It contested that the ad should be seen as a “lighthearted promotional campaign.” Uber India maintains it intended to promote Uber Moto as a faster alternative in Bengaluru’s notorious traffic. “The ad in question is set in the context of the 13 May IPL clash between RCB and SRH, and simply encourages viewers to consider bike taxis to reach the stadium in time,” it stated.

Uber India further attacked RCB for “severely and massively underestimating the Indian public’s sense of humour, including that of their own fanbase.”

Get the latest updates in , , , , and on & by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for and .