Overview

• Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora granted an interim injunction restraining Rupa Publications from manufacturing, publishing, marketing, selling or advertising its red-and-black coat-pocket edition of the Constitution.
• The order directs Rupa to recall unsold inventory and remove all listings from e-commerce platforms within two weeks.
• The court found Rupa’s trade dress deceptively similar to Eastern Book Company’s editions, citing the colour scheme, fonts, gilt edging, posteen colour and embossed gold detailing.
• It held there is a strong likelihood of consumer confusion because both publishers operate in the same segment, use identical trade channels and target the same customers.
• EBC told the court it has sold over 1,04,805 copies since 2010, spent more than Rs 75 lakh on advertising and saw a September 2025 order for 18,000 copies cancelled after Rupa allegedly pitched its edition as an identical cheaper option.