Urban Company moves Delhi HC over alleged delisting of water purifiers by Kent
Case adjourned to January 21 as Kent seeks time for an amicable resolution; Court notes that no immediate orders will be passed against either party.
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Urban Company (formerly UrbanClap Technologies India), an online platform connecting customers with service professionals, has filed a lawsuit before the Delhi High Court against Kent RO Systems, reports Bar & Bench.
The company alleges that Kent wrote to e-commerce platforms Amazon and Flipkart, requesting the delisting of Urban Company's water purifiers, even though no court order was ever issued to justify such action.
The matter came up for hearing on January 14 before Justice Mini Pushkarna, who adjourned the proceedings to January 21.
Counsel representing Kent, advocate Rajeshwari Hariharan, sought time to seek instructions and explore an amicable solution. Meanwhile, the Court noted that, until the next date of hearing, Kent is not expected to communicate with any e-commerce platforms regarding Urban Company's products, the report added.
The dispute traces back to 2024, when Kent alleged that the water purifiers sold by Urban Company utilized its patented reverse osmosis (RO) technology. Although the HC had issued summons in Kent's suit last year, it did not grant any interim injunction restraining Urban Company from using the technology in its water purifiers.
Senior Advocate Amit Sibal, representing Urban Company, argued that the alleged delisting took place in the midst of festive season sales, causing the company significant losses.
Sibal contended that, while the products have been re-listed, Urban Company anticipates further disruption during the upcoming Republic Day sales if Kent repeats its alleged actions. He noted that frequent delisting not only harms the company financially but also affects its sales rank and reputation on online marketplaces.
Taking the Court through Kent’s communications to Amazon and Flipkart, Sibal asserted that Kent cited a non-existent court order to justify the delisting request. Sibal was briefed by advocate Aditya Gupta from Ira Law.
On behalf of Kent, Hariharan questioned the authenticity of the communications presented by Urban Company and requested additional time to verify their contents.
Granting the adjournment, the Court noted that no fresh requests for product delisting should be made until the matter is heard next on January 21.
