Maruti Suzuki Vs Volkswagen Trademark Battle: Delhi High Court Verdict Out

The Delhi High Court has dismissed a petition filed by Volkswagen challenging the registration of the trademark ‘Transformotion’ by Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. The German carmaker argued that the mark was deceptively similar to its “4MOTION” trademark, which is associated with the brand’s all-wheel-drive technology.

Volkswagen has been using the 4MOTION trademark for all its all-wheel-drive capable models globally since many decades. In India, it applied for the trademark in 2005 which was accepted and approved by the Registrar of Trade Marks in 2007. Maruti Suzuki, on the other hand, applied for the trademark “TRANSFORMOTION” trademark in 2015 which received an approval in 2017.

However, the court noted that Maruti began using the “TRANSFORMOTION” mark in 2016, whereas Volkswagen started using its mark in 2017, which meant consumers were not familiar with VW’s mark at the time. Moreover, the court also pointed out that the trademarks have different significance and serve different purposes for each brand.

The Delhi High Court observed that Volkswagen’s trademark “4MOTION” refers to the advanced all-wheel-drive system used in models like the Tiguan and the newly-launched Tayron R-Line. In contrast, “TRANSFORMOTION”, used by Maruti, relates to the transition of vehicle speedometers from analogue to digital systems, according to a report published by Bar and Bench.

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In its defence, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd argued that the term “Motion” is widely used across the automotive industry and therefore cannot be exclusively claimed by a single manufacturer. The Court accepted this argument, noting that several third-party trademarks in the automotive sector also incorporate the word “Motion”. The court further observed that “TRANSFORMOTION” is a wordplay derived from the dictionary term “transformation”, which helps establish its distinct identity.

The Delhi High concluded that Volkswagen’s petition lacked merit and therefore dismissed its appeal, allowing Maruti Suzuki to proceed with the registration and use of the “TRANSFORMATION” trademark.