WinZO-Zupee case of alleged unfair trade practices

WinZO has sought permission from the Delhi High Court to seek critical information from Microsoft as part of its ongoing legal battle against Zupee and associated entities, including Data Empiric and FutureMinds Consulting, resulting in the issuance of notice by the Court.

WinZO has alleged that Zupee engaged in unauthorized attempts to extract sensitive business information. The company has also made allegations that Zupee contacted its employees to obtain confidential details about revenue, marketing plans and critical metrics. The case centers around allegations of unfair trade practices.

"We uphold a zero-tolerance policy for unethical business practices and remain steadfast in our commitment to protect what we have built. We will pursue and expose anyone who threatens the integrity of our business. Innovation is the lifeblood of the startup ecosystem, and we refuse to stand idle while unscrupulous elements and competitors attempt to undermine it with deceitful tactics," spokesperson of WinZO said.

"This fight is not just about WinZO—it is about defending the principles that drive progress and entrepreneurship. This is a call to action on behalf of every entrepreneur, especially early-stage innovators who lack the resources to fight back. Through this stand, we send a loud and clear message: unethical behavior has no place in our ecosystem, and those who engage in it will face the consequences,” WinZO spokesperson stated on the matter.

According to WinZO, the platform has sought to submit the audio recordings to substantiate its claims, requesting the court to validate facts from Microsoft, a platform that was used by Zupee members. The current application to the court involve Microsoft which seeks to verify the veracity of Zupee’s denial of involvement in soliciting WinZO’s confidential data or instructing third parties to do so.

According to WinZO, they have also sought to submit transcripts identifying senior Zupee representatives as participants in an alleged paid “market research” scheme by Data Empiric and Zupee. The operation allegedly leveraged Microsoft Teams' "Guest" feature to mask identities while attempting to solicit sensitive business data. Further, WinZO claims its commercial contracts were interfered with due to Zupee's undue access to confidential information. WinZO has requested the court to direct Microsoft to disclose participant details, including IP addresses and other identifiers.