Play Games24x7 alleges bias in Skoch rankings; Delhi HC grants injunction

The Delhi High Court recently granted an ad interim injunction in favour of Play Games24x7 protecting its Intellectual Property rights in its games RummyCircle and My11Circle from allegedly being adversely ranked by Skoch Group on basis of a self-created gaming framework and ranking mechanism. The Real Money Gaming company in its lawsuit had challenged the advertisement dated 23.12.2024 issued by Skoch group in a leading newspaper.

The Delhi HC held that the Play Games24x7 would suffer irreparable harm and injury, in case reference to its trademarks RummyCircle and My11Circle were not redacted from the advertisement. The matter has been listed on April 29, 2025 for hearing. A copy of the order is with Storyboard18.

Play Games24x7 Private Limited (Plaintiff) filed the plea for permanent and mandatory injunction for restraining Skoch Group and others (Defendants) from allegedly causing defamation, trade libel, disparagement of trademark, unfair competition, injurious falsehood, spread of misinformation, unfair trade practices, violation of advertising norms, unjust enrichment, rendition of accounts and damages, etc.

In its plea, Play Games24x7 Private Limited stated that they are aggrieved by an advertisement published by the defendants, which has cast aspersions on the safety and efficacy of plaintiff’s well-known and reputed products by ranking them adversely on the basis of a self-serving, arbitrary and admittedly subjective ranking system.

The plaintiffs submitted that, “The paid ranking, coupled with biased and interested task force, used such paid advertisement to deliberately portray the plaintiff as non-compliant of legal framework causing harm to its reputation and goodwill.”

Counsel for the defendant stated to the Delhi HC, “The exercise carried out by the defendants is a private exercise at their own end, for public interest. They further submit that the exercise carried out by them for giving rankings, was a fair and a long drawn process.”

After hearing both the parties, the court noted that the plaintiff has not participated in any exercise carried out by the defendants for the purposes of granting any ranking.

The court also observed, “Further, this court also notes that the members of the parties, who have been ranked as number 1 and 2, were part of the Task Force, which carried out the process of ranking.”

Considering the submissions made in the court, Justice Mini Pushkarna passed an order, “Prima facie case has been made out by the plaintiff. Balance of convenience also lies in favour of the plaintiff and against the defendants."

The court directed the defendant to redact the name/mark of the plaintiff from the advertisement that has been put on their website and other social media platforms.