Bisleri threatens to sue Coca-Cola

"I am awaiting a response from Coca-Cola on whether they would stop applying for registration in other countries. Coca-Cola has withdrawn the application they made in Turkey. We sell Mazaa in other countries. Coca-Cola has argued that it would register the trademark in countries where Mazaa is not registered till now. For us, this is unacceptable. If Coca-Cola does not agree to our objection, we might have to take legal recourse," said Ramesh Chauhan, chairman and managing director, Bisleri, and creator of the Mazaa brand.

"We have not registered the brand anywhere and have no intention of doing it," a Coca-Cola spokesperson said when contacted.

Bisleri, however, insists that Coca-Cola has applied for registration of the Mazaa trademark in countries where the brand is not present and has objected to it on grounds that it is a breach of agreement under which Coca-Cola had acquired the rights of Mazaa trademark from Bisleri in India in 1993.

Coca Cola has reportedly told the Chauhans that they should have entered into a non-compete agreement to restrain it from unbridled expansion. To this, the Bisleri chairman says: "We have been competing before 1993, and after 1993, so the question of a non-compete agreement doesn't arise."