Mumbai: Metro Shoes, a multi-brand footwear retail chain in India, has filed a case in Bombay High Court against the online retailer, Flipkart. The footwear retailer has filed the case against Flipkart, alleging that the online retailer is selling a private brand named Metronaut, which is misleadingly similar to Metro’s eponymous brand.
It has also accused Flipkart for selling shoes among other products under the brand name.
“They are using the name of Metronaut which is similar to Metro. It is a case of trademark infringement,” said Piyush Shah, the lawyer representing Metro. He also informed that the case has been filed on Tuesday i.e. June 5, 2018.
On the other hand, as per the media reports, the online retailer is unaware of any legal proceeding. The spokesperson of Flipkart said that as of now Flipkart is not aware about any such legal proceeding. If we are served notice by any court or judicial authority, we will take the necessary actions that are in the best interests of the company.
Flipkart launched the product range under the brand name Metronaut, private label in men’s fashion and accessories, last year only. As of now, the online retailer is selling denims, t-shirts, shoes and other accessories like belts, wallets etc. under the same brand name.
Metro Shoes has expanded from single shoe store opened in 1947 in Colaba, Mumbai to more than 200 outlets in almost 100 cities of India. The company also sells through other multi-brand stores and is looking to expand to the markets where they don’t have the presence yet.
