Supreme Court Directs Matrimony.com and Jodi365 to Explore Amicable Settlement in Trademark Dispute

The Supreme Court has nudged online matchmaking platforms Matrimony.com and Jodi365 (FreeElective Network) to settle their ongoing disputes over the use of the trademark 'Jodi' among themselves in an amicable fashion.

The legal proceedings indicate that Matrimony.com may need to find a new name for its matchmaking app, 'Jodii'. This follows a signal from the Supreme Court that it was not inclined to interfere with a Madras High Court ruling in favor of rival Jodi365, which had alleged that the 'Jodi' mark was deceptively similar to its brand.

Issuing the ruling on August 21, Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe described the Madras High Court’s decision as fair and added that there did not appear to be any need to interfere with it. The apex court indicated that it would consider the matter again on September 7 if the parties were unable to arrive at a settlement.

As per sources in the know, Matrimony.com has proposed to rename the app 'Jodi Matrimony' rather than face the complete discontinuation of the service. Murugavel Janakiraman, the founder and CEO of Matrimony.com, did not respond to queries regarding their next steps to settle the issue.

The two companies have been engaged in a legal battle since October 2021, when Matrimony.com launched a mobile app called 'Jodii' for matchmaking and matrimonial services. Jodi365 had already been in business for over a decade at that point.

Following the launch, Jodi365 sent a cease-and-desist notice to Matrimony.com, asserting its registered rights and pointing to potential customer confusion. However, Matrimony.com maintained that 'Jodii' is an original, arbitrary term and that they were free to use it.

Jodi365 subsequently filed a trademark infringement suit in the Madras High Court. In July 2022, this suit was dismissed by a single judge decision. However, the founder of Jodi365 appealed the decision, which was allowed on August 11, with the Madras High Court issuing a permanent injunction against Matrimony.com regarding the use of the term. Immediately following this, on August 12, Matrimony.com filed a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court requesting a stay on the permanent injunction.

"This case highlights the critical importance of conducting comprehensive trademark due diligence before launching a new brand or product name, especially in established markets. For startups and growing businesses, intellectual property disputes can lead to costly and protracted litigation, diverting valuable time and resources away from core operations. Exploring an amicable settlement, as suggested by the Supreme Court, is often a pragmatic approach to mitigate long-term business risks and operational uncertainty." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes