BCCI rejects Champak Magazine's offer to settle IPL robotic dog trademark dispute
In April 2025, Delhi Press had approached the court, asserting that Champak is a well-established children's magazine and that the IPL's decision to name its AI-powered robotic dog "Champak" amounted to trademark infringement.
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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday told the Delhi High Court that it was not willing to enter into mediation with Delhi Press Patra Prakashan, the publisher of the iconic children's magazine Champak, Bar & Bench reported.
This was over a trademark dispute concerning the use of the name "Champak" for a robotic dog featured during the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The matter was heard by Justice Saurabh Banerjee, who listed the case for further proceedings in September after both parties made their initial submissions.
During the hearing, advocate Amit Gupta, representing Delhi Press, indicated the publisher's willingness to resolve the matter amicably now that the IPL season had ended.
"If they tell us that they won't use 'Champak' in the upcoming season, we will not pursue this case further," Gupta told the court, adding that his client was open to mediation, the report added.
However, advocate Tanmay Mehta, representing the BCCI, firmly declined any settlement or mediation, arguing that commercial considerations were involved in the use of the name and that BCCI could not offer such an undertaking.
Mehta further claimed that the real intent behind the lawsuit was to extract a financial settlement from BCCI, calling it an attempt to capitalise on the cricket board’s prominence.
In April 2025, Delhi Press had approached the court, asserting that Champak is a well-established children's magazine and that the IPL's decision to name its AI-powered robotic dog "Champak" amounted to trademark infringement. The magazine, in publication since 1969, is a registered trademark.
The counsel pointed out that although the robot dog had been featured earlier in the tournament, the name “Champak” was officially adopted only on April 23, reportedly based on fan votes, and that this usage was unauthorised and widely circulated in the media.
The court, however, questioned how the IPL’s use of the name amounted to “commercial exploitation” or conferred any unfair advantage. Gupta replied that the unauthorised use of the registered trademark led to dilution of the brand identity, especially given its long-standing association with children's content.
Justice Banerjee noted that the current pleadings lacked specific allegations of commercial exploitation. In response, Gupta cited the promotional campaigns around the robotic dog as examples of brand usage in a commercial setting.
When the judge raised the example of cricketer Virat Kohli, popularly known by his nickname ‘Chiku’, Gupta clarified that unlike Kohli - who had not launched a commercial product using that moniker - the IPL had used “Champak” in connection with marketing and merchandise, thereby breaching trademark rights, the report added.
