The Delhi High Court restrains website from infringing Louis Vuitton copyright

The Delhi High Court has granted relief to Louis Vuitton Malletier, the French high-end luxury fashion house, by restraining a website from copying or publishing photographs which would infringe its copyright. The high court said the plaintiff company has made out a clear prima facie case of copyright infringement and as such, it would be entitled to ‘ex parte ad interim’ relief so that such infringement does not continue.
Louis Vuitton Dehli

The luxury brand alleged that it maintains a website displaying lines of products for sale. Louis Vuitton contracts world renowned photographers and high-end fashion models to create “artistic works” within the meaning of Section 2(c) of the Copyrights Act, 1957, stated the plaint.

It issued summons to website haute24.com on the suit and listed the matter on February 6, 2023 before the Joint Registrar (Judicial) for completion of the pleadings, including admission and denial of documents and marking of exhibits.

“Till the next date of hearing, defendants and all their agents, servants, etc. are injuncted from copying, issuing to the public or publishing, on their website haute24.com or through any other medium, the allegedly infringing photographs enlisted in Defendant 3, which is the domain name registrar of the domain name haute24.com is directed immediately and forthwith to block access to the said website…,” Justice C Hari Shankar said.

Louis Vuitton Malletier was represented by Advocates Anirudha Valsangkar, Rishika Aggarwal and Abhilash Gupta of Dodd & Co.