The Madras High Court in India has sentenced four Golden Tobacco directors to prison for contempt, according to The Hindu. The case involves a trademark dispute between Golden Tobacco and market leader ITC over the Gold Flake trademark.
Despite a July 2018 interim injunction, Golden Tobacco continued imitating ITC’s Gold Flake cigarette brand, according to ITC.
“Merely because of subsequent statutory requirement as indicated by the learned counsel on either side, this court is unable to hold in favor of respondent/company and its directors,” the judges wrote. “As a result, this court finds that there is willful disobedience of the order of injunction granted by this court.”
The court adjusted the length of the prison sentence to take account of the high ages of the defendants.
The punishment will come into force from July 15, 2023, to allow the directors to appeal before the Supreme Court.