On 24 Nov 2025, the Delhi High Court upheld the order of the Registrar of Trademarks dated 21 Feb 2024, holding that the term ‘Haveli’ is a generic term and therefore, cannot be monopolized.
The Registrar of Trademarks dismissed the oppositions filed by ‘Haveli Restaurants and Resorts Limited’ against the Trademark Application No. 4263978 & 3913481 for the trademark ‘THE AMRITSAR HAVELI & AMRITSAR HAVELI’ in class 43 filed by Amritsar Haveli Cuisines Private Limited and its managing director- Mr. Rubjeet Singh Grover, respectively. Haveli Restaurants and Resorts Limited., dissatisfied with this outcome, approached the Delhi High Court challenging the Registrar’s orders under Section 91 of Trademark Act, 1999.
The Delhi High Court, however, upheld the Registrar’s view. In its judgment, the High Court observed that the word ‘Haveli’ is a generic, descriptive expression commonly used across India, particularly in relation to hospitality and restaurant services. Because of this, the Court held that no trader can claim exclusive or monopolistic rights over the standalone word ‘Haveli’ per se.
The Court further noted that the respondent’s mark ‘Amritsar Haveli’ is sufficiently distinguishable and carries a unique identity. The addition of the geographical term “Amritsar” creates a distinct identity, reducing any likelihood of confusion among consumers.
With these findings, the Delhi High Court confirmed that the appellant had no basis to assert exclusive rights over the word ‘Haveli’ and dismissed the appeals.
Mark Shield had the privilege of assisting the respondent, Amritsar Haveli Cuisines Private Limited, both before the Registrar of Trademarks and before the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi.
Read judgment here
