Court Summons Both Anthropic PBC and Indian Subsidiary Over Trademark Dispute
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New Delhi, March 10 (NationPress) The founder of Anthropic Software, Mohammad Ayyaz Mulla, announced that both the US-based AI firm Anthropic PBC and its Indian affiliate, Anthropic India Private Limited, are required to appear in court regarding a trademark infringement lawsuit centered on the name 'Anthropic'.
In a conversation with IANS, Mulla detailed that during the hearing on March 9, the Indian subsidiary responded to a summons issued by the court.
However, the representatives contended that they operate as a distinct legal entity, separate from the US parent company that was initially implicated in the lawsuit.
“On the previous date, we had summoned Anthropic India Private Limited, and they appeared in court on March 9. Their defense was that they are Anthropic India Private Limited, whereas we had included Anthropic PBC as a party to the lawsuit,” Mulla explained.
He noted that when the case was filed in early January, the Indian subsidiary was not yet officially registered.
“Anthropic India Private Limited, which serves as the Indian division of the US company, was officially registered only at the end of January. At the time of filing, they were unregistered, which is why we included the US company in the case,” he added.
Mulla further stated that, with the establishment of the Indian entity, a notice was dispatched to its local office.
However, the representatives maintained that the Indian subsidiary and the US parent are legally distinct entities, arguing that the case should not be treated uniformly against both.
“They claimed that the company we included is different and that they are legally a separate entity. With this argument, they aimed to dismiss the case,” he remarked.
Mulla concluded by mentioning that the court has permitted the inclusion of the Indian subsidiary, thus both entities are now obligated to respond to the case.
“We successfully included them and will continue with the case. Now, in addition to the US entity, we are also incorporating this Indian company as a party. From the next hearing onward, both the Indian and US companies must be present,” he stated.