Dailybasket calls BigBasket a bully for serving it 'cease & desist' notice

Bigbasket's issue is with use of the word 'basket' by Coimbatore-based startup; the latter responds by creating website to counter the former's argument

Soon to become a Tata Group company, e-grocery player BigBasket’s parent Supermarket Grocery Supplies has served a notice to a Coimbatore-based grocery startup called Dailybasket, seeking closure of its operations as it is offering identical products and services through a conflicting similar domain name.

A copy of the notice, which has been reviewed by Business Standard mentions, that a “...mere mention or reference of a name containing “basket” in word or logo form for any e-commerce business and related products conjure in the minds of relevant class of consumers and members of trade as that of being associated with our client.”

In order to address the charges, DailyBasket has created a website called BBisabully in which it says though the platform has the word 'basket' in its brand and it delivers online groceries, it doesn't mean it copied the Tiger Global-backed player’s trademarks or unethically copied their website and apps. “We never misuse BigBasket's brand in any way as they claimed in the cease and desist letter. That's a blatant lie. This is our attempt to debunk their claims,” says the start-up.

BigBasket refused to comment on the matter.

“Basket is a very common word in e-commerce/offline commerce. If we use BigBasket's logic, then Nature's Basket, which predates BigBasket by a full six years, could unleash the same claims on BigBasket,” says communications strategy consultant Karthik Srinivasan.

According to Dailybasket, in the ‘cease and desist’ notice BiBasket has asked the startup to stop using the domain name dailybasket.com, discontinue the mobile apps, stop all the operations immediately, transfer its domain name dailybasket.com to them immediately with free of cost and pay their legal team of Rs 2 lakh to cover the legal notice.

Dailybasket which was set up in August last year has plans to set up a string of mini supermarkets throughout Coimbatore and make them act as delivery hubs for its online delivery business. Currently, it operates one warehouse and is to open a mini-store this month.