Anthropic versus Anthropic: Indian company’s application for trademark accepted

The Trademark Registrar in India is Anthropic Software Private Ltd, based in Belagavi. accepted the trademark application made by. The application was deemed valid according to the principle of prior use.

The company, founded by IT expert Muhammad Ayyaz Mulla, objected to US-based Anthropic PBC over the use of the same name. Now Anthropic has filed a revision petition to cancel the trademark granted to PBC.

To protect its brand name and identity, Anthropic sued PBC. The Principal District and Commercial Court in Belagavi has so far issued two summons to the US company to appear in the next hearing scheduled for March 9. Mr. Mulla had sought an injunction restraining him from using the name “Anthropic” in India, arguing that Anthropic PBC had been using the mark since 2017, whereas the US company had registered it in 2021.

Even before registration in India, Antropik PBC had secured the trademark “Antropik” to operate its operations in India. However, the Belagavi company claims that it has objected to the registration before the Indian authorities.

“The Registrar of Trademarks accepted our application on February 19, taking into account our previous usage rights and we expect the trademark to be granted shortly. We hope to get justice soon,” Mr. Mulla said.

Mohammad Ayyaz Mulla has smart books published by Anthropic Software Private Limited in Belagavi. | Photo Credit: BADIGER PK

He said his company conducts research and development in various areas, including integrating artificial intelligence into various tools and systems. Dopanet, a patented WiFi monetization platform, has developed several products for students, including smart learning apps, QuickTune driving safety app, and TrueGuide education ERP.