Delhi HC to hear Tesla Inc's trademark case against Tesla Power after mediation fails

The Delhi High Court has decided to proceed with the hearing of the trademark case filed by Tesla Inc. against Tesla Power India Private Limited, as per media reports.

Tesla Inc., owned by Elon Musk, had moved the Delhi High Court in May 2024, claiming that Tesla Power India's use of the "TESLA" trademark was infringing on its intellectual property rights.

The dispute escalated when Tesla Power India announced its intentions to enter the electric vehicle (EV) market and ran advertisements in newspapers promoting the same.

Tesla Inc. informed the court that cease-and-desist notice was issued to Tesla Power India and its counterpart Tesla Power USA in April 2022, requesting them to stop using the "TESLA" trademark. Despite multiple communication between the parties, Tesla Power India continued to market and advertise its products under the Tesla name.

During the first day of hearings, Tesla Power India's proprietor appeared before the court and provided an undertaking stating that they had no intention to manufacture electric vehicles and would refrain from marketing any vehicles under the names "TESLA POWER USA" or any similar brand that could be seen as deceptive.

However, further allegations surfaced as Tesla Inc. claimed that Tesla Power India began manufacturing e-scooters under the Tesla brand.

In May 2024, the court instructed the defendants to file an affidavit disclosing information about the electric vehicles sold, including the dealers, launch dates, and sales details. This information was requested to be submitted ahead of the next hearing.

Following the failure of mediation between the two companies, the case was listed before the court once again, where an early application by Tesla Inc. was withdrawn.

With mediation efforts now exhausted, the Delhi High Court has set the date for a full hearing of the case on April 15, 2025.

Also Read: Delhi HC defers Tesla trademark case to April 2025