HC refuses to grant interim order on DPS World Foundation plea

The Delhi High Court today refused to give any interim order on a plea by DPS World Foundation, floated by a group of Delhi Public School alumni including former Union minister Salman Khurshid, challenging its single judge's interim order restraining them from using 'DPS' name or the trademark crest of the schools.
"It is not a matter of granting any interim stay. The single judge has given (his) reason in the order, so we need to hear it and then only pass any decision," a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath said.
"This matter needs to be heard, so list it for May 26," it added.

DPS World has moved the court challenging a single judge's April 18 decision on the ground that the DPS has no trademark of the logo or the crest.
It also claimed it had not hidden anything from society as it has clearly mentioned on its website that it is not associated with the Delhi Public School in any manner.
The single judge, in its order, had held that using DPS name would amount to trademark infringement of DPS Society.

It had directed the Foundation to refrain from using the DPS name and its registered mark or any other crest identical or deceptively similar to the registered mark of DPS Society.

The order had come on a suit filed by DPS Society against the use of words "DPS World" by the Foundation, claiming the defendants had misappropriated the name and distinctive crest with a firelight held in a hand inside a shield, which had been used by the DPS schools since 1948.
The suit, filed last year, had stated that the Foundation was opening schools using the name DPS World School, which amounted to infringement of the Society's copyright.
The court had barred the trustees, members, franchisees, officers, employees, agents, delegates, representatives, associates and all others acting for DPS World Foundation from using or dealing in any manner with the DPS name or crest till the disposal of the suit.