Delhi High Court Orders Deletion of ‘Croose’ Trademark for Being Deceptively Similar to ‘Crocs
Crocs Inc Secures Relief Against Trademark Registrar and Croose Footwear Brand
The Delhi High Court has directed the removal of the trademark ‘Croose’ from the register after finding it deceptively similar to the globally known trademark ‘Crocs’ held by American footwear company Crocs Inc. The judgment, delivered by Justice Tejas Karia on September 26, concluded that ‘Croose’ is likely to confuse consumers due to its visual and phonetic similarity to ‘Crocs.’
The Court held that the mark ‘Croose’ violates Section 11(1)(b) of the Trademarks Act, which prohibits the registration of deceptively similar trademarks for identical or similar goods. Consequently, the Trademark Registry has been ordered to delete the ‘Croose’ mark (Registration No. 3409214 in Class 25) within four weeks and update its website accordingly.
Crocs Inc approached the court, asserting that its mark—registered in India since 2005-06—possesses distinctive style, goodwill, and international reputation. The court noted that ‘Croose’ did not file any written submissions opposing the petition but opposed Crocs’ arguments orally. The decision was ultimately rendered in favour of Crocs, with representatives from both sides appearing before the court.