Madras High Court Cancels “Original Choice” Trademark for Deceptive Similarity to “Officer’s Choice”

The Madras High Court ordered the removal of the trademark “Original Choice,” owned by John Distillers Ltd., from the Trademark Register, ruling that it was deceptively similar to “Officer’s Choice,” owned by Allied Blenders & Distillers.

The Bench observed that “Original Choice” lacked distinctiveness and was likely to cause confusion among consumers due to phonetic and visual resemblance.

The Court held that John Distillers’ adoption of the mark was not bona fide and amounted to passing off.

Upholding the validity of the “Officer’s Choice” registration, the Court reaffirmed that deceptive similarity undermines consumer protection and the integrity of trademark law.

[Allied Blenders & Distillers v John Distillers Ltd.]