New Delhi: Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp can continue to use its hexagonal logo in India till final disposal of a trademark dispute with Atyati Technologies Pvt Ltd – a Bengaluru-based fintech company, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday.
Cognizant – a Nasdaq-listed IT services firm was facing difficulties ever since a division bench of the Bombay High Court barred it from using the logo during the course of proceedings in a trademark infringement case in August.
This relates to a trademark dispute with Atyati. The fintech firm has accused Cognizant of copying its logo, which is also hexagonal in shape. In June 2024, a single-judge bench of the Bombay High Court that is hearing the original matter, allowed Cognizant to use its logo during the pendency of the matter.
Atyati moved a division bench against this and in August, it set aside the single-judge order regarding use of the logo. Cognizant then moved an appeal before the Supreme Court that was heard by Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice R Mahadevan.
Granting permission to Cognizant to continue using its logo, the Supreme Court bench observed that the Bombay High Court division bench had erred in setting aside the single-judge bench’s order. The SC also directed the single-judge bench to dispose of the matter expeditiously, within six months if possible.
Cognizant, a New Jersey-based company, employs nearly three-fourths of its global workforce in India.
“The Supreme Court restored the earlier order of the Bombay High Court refusing to continue the injunction against Cognizant. The Supreme Court also directed the expeditious disposal of the injunction application by the Single Judges Bench, Bombay High Court, within six months,” a Cognizant spokesperson said.
The trademark battle began in 2023 when Atyati Technologies filed an infringement suit saying it had been using its orange hexagonal honeycomb logo since 2019. Cognizant’s hexagonal honeycomb logo is blue. Both logos are markedly different but have similarities.
Cognizant countered that Atyati had been aware of its logo since 2022, but claimed it only learned of it in October 2023, alleging that Atyati suppressed this fact when it initially sought an injunction.
