Lodha vs Lodha: Macrotech’s Abhishek Lodha takes younger brother’s company to court over trademark

Lodha vs Lodha: Macrotech’s Abhishek Lodha takes younger brother’s company to court over trademark


Mumbai-based listed real estate developer Lodha, which goes by the name of Macrotech Developers and is helmed by Abhishek Lodha, has approached the Bombay High Court to restrain the House of Abhinandan Lodha (HoABL), a company set up by his younger brother, from using the brand name ‘Lodha’ in any form.

Lodha vs Lodha: Macrotech’s Abhishek Lodha takes younger brother’s company to court over trademark
Abhishek Lodha-promoted Macrotech Developers Ltd has filed a case against HoABL, alleging the use of similar brand ‘Lodha’ to market its properties.. (FOR REPRESENTATION)(HT_PRINT)

The Bombay High Court is scheduled to be heard on January 21.

Abhinandan Lodha separated from the Lodha Group in 2015 and started his venture HoABL. The separation was formalised through a family settlement agreement in 2017.

As per the petition, a new agreement was signed between the two in December 2023 due to non-compliance. It prohibits the younger brother from using names similar to ‘Lodha’.

What does the petition say?

“The Lodha Group has spent considerable time, effort and money building its brand through advertisements and endorsements, and is renowned across India and abroad for the quality and scale of its developments,” the commercial intellectual protection suit filed by Macrotech in the Bombay High Court says.

In its petition, Macrotech said in view of the 2017 agreement, the defendants are expressly prohibited from using the Lodha trademarks and/or any trademark deceptively similar.

It said the defendants have suppressed material and relevant facts from the trademark registry and also made several misrepresentations while making applications in respect of / securing registration of the impugned marks.

“The registration of the impugned marks by the defendant are ex-facie illegal, fraudulent and of a nature that ought to shock the conscience of the court,” Macrotech said. It appealed to direct Abhinandan-owned businesses to stop using the Lodha brand name.

When approached, a Lodha spokesperson said that “Lodha’s brand has been built with lots of investment and effort over 40 years. It is critical for the company to protect its IPR and ensure that no other developer creates confusion of being similar to / same as our brand. Our shareholders include the world’s most renowned investors and one of India’s largest charitable entities – we are duty bound to protect our company’s valuable rights.”

When contacted, Abhinandan Lodha, chairman, HoABL said “We are very clear that we are into plotted development and not high-rise buildings, and largely operate in locations where Macrotech is not present and this was by choice.”

“Lodha Ventures and Lodha FinServ were given to me as part of the settlement process, and the understanding was that the Lodha name was not to be used on a standalone basis in real estate, and hence, we have our companies as Lodha Ventures, The House of Abhinandan Lodha (which is our real estate arm), and Lodha Finserve (non-operative now),” he added.

In the response, he said that he has helped Macrotech many times in the past even after the family settlement including lending 900 crore through the NBFC, giving corporate and personal guarantees and even mortgaging his own flat to raise funds in the interest of the family.



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