Tesla vs. Tesla. Elon Musk’s Americans have sued an Indian battery company for trademark theft

Tesla, Elon Musk’s automaker, has sued an Indian battery maker for infringing its trademark by using the name “Tesla Power” to promote its products, seeking damages and a permanent injunction against the company from a judge in New Delhi, reports Reuters.

By the Observator editorial team on 05.05.2024, 14:26

Tesla, in a Delhi High Court hearing this week, said the Indian company continued to advertise its products under the “Tesla Power” brand despite a cease and desist notice sent in April 2022, according to details procedures published on Friday on the court’s website.

The Tesla versus Tesla case

During the hearing, the Indian company, Tesla Power India Pvt Ltd, claimed that its main business is the production of “lead-acid batteries” and that it has no intention of producing electric vehicles. The judge allowed the Indian firm three weeks to file written responses after it turned over a set of documents in support of its defense, court filings show.

Musk’s Tesla company is incorporated in Delaware and accused the Indian company of using the trade names “Tesla Power” and “Tesla Power USA”, reports news.ro.

The court filing includes screenshots of a website that showed Tesla Power USA LLC was also based in Delaware and was “recognized for being a pioneer and leader in introducing affordable batteries,” with “a presence very strong in India”.

“We never claimed to be related to Elon Musk’s Tesla”

A representative of Tesla Power told Reuters that it was present in India long before Musk’s Tesla and that it has all government approvals. “We have never claimed to be related to Elon Musk’s Tesla,” said Manoj Pahwa of Tesla Power.

Tesla told the judge that it discovered the Indian company was using its brand name in 2022 and tried unsuccessfully to stop it from doing so, forcing it to launch the lawsuit. The case comes after Musk canceled his planned visit to India on April 21 to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A few days later, Musk made a surprise visit to China and made progress on the launch of his advanced driver assistance package, a move many Indian commentators called an affront. The Tesla India brand case will be heard on May 22.