Delhi High Court refuses to cancel Patanjali’s ‘Gonyle’ floor cleaner trademark

The Delhi High Court has rejected a legal challenge seeking to remove Patanjali’s trademark for its “Patanjali Gonyle Floor Cleaner,” clearing the way for the ayurveda and FMCG major to continue using the brand name on its cow-urine-based cleaning products.

Justice Tejas Karia dismissed a rectification petition filed by the Holy Cow Foundation, a non-governmental organisation that works for the protection and welfare of indigenous cows. The group had claimed it was the original creator and user of the name “Gaunyle” for similar floor-cleaning products and accused Patanjali of copying the mark in bad faith.

In its petition, the foundation argued that Patanjali’s “Gonyle” was phonetically and visually too close to its own mark, and that consumers could be misled into believing the two products were connected. It sought cancellation of Patanjali’s trademark under provisions of the Trade Marks Act that deal with deceptive similarity and likelihood of confusion.

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However, the court was not persuaded. In its ruling, Justice Karia held that when Patanjali’s product name was seen as a whole, especially with the prominent use of the well-known “Patanjali” brand, it was sufficiently different from the petitioner’s mark. The judge said an average consumer was unlikely to confuse the two.

The court also found serious flaws in the evidence produced by the Holy Cow Foundation to show that it had been using “Gaunyle” before Patanjali. Patanjali had questioned the invoices and documents submitted by the petitioner, pointing out date inconsistencies and other irregularities. The judge agreed, noting that the materials appeared unreliable and raised doubts about their authenticity.

Patanjali, for its part, maintained that it had been using the “Gonyle” name for years and that its strong house brand further reduced any chance of confusion. The company argued that it had acted in good faith and that the claim of imitation was unfounded.

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With the petition dismissed, Patanjali retains its trademark registration for “Patanjali Gonyle Floor Cleaner,” bringing an end, at least for now, to the legal challenge over the branding of its cow-urine-based cleaning products.