It’s been a crazy couple of months for the revived Indian motorcycle brand Yezdi by Classic Legends. Classic Legends is Mahindra and Mahinda motorcycle subsidiaries.
The brand was re-launched in late 2022. One of its very first models unveiled was the 334cc Roadster, Scrambler and Adventure, which the beloved 1990s Yezdi Roadking inspired.
The name
As per Autocar, in what’s set to be one of the essential IP verdicts of recent times, Karnataka High Court has officially ruled the Yezdi brand name. Which Classic Legends had been using for its bikes since they revived the brand in 2022, does not legally belong to Classic Legends and its founders.
The brand’s followers have waited for a long time for this ruling. In the past, there needed to be more clarity about whether anyone could use the name or if Classic Legends owned it. The court has confirmed now that the Yezdi name is the asset now-defunct company.
In 2018, Boman Rustom Irani, co-founder of the Classic Legends motorcycle company. Applied for several trademarks referencing the Yezdi name.
In a recent ruling, the intellectual property office decided he does not have a right to those trademarks. As this ruling might mean that those trademarks were issued in error.
Fine
In a ruling handed down, the court again affirmed that Classic Legends did not own Yezdi and that Boman Irani had no right to use the Yezdi name. The court also fined Classic Legends and Boman Irani Rs 10 lakhs (about $12,076) and a request to cease all operations utilizing Yezdi.
Classic Legends further said to Autocar that they would appeal in court and are looking for a favourable outcome and in the meantime. They will continue to sell the motorcycles under the Yezdi name.
Can Irani and Classic Legends continue to use the name.Or will Yezdi’s creditors be the ones reaping the benefits of this court decision? To find out and for more details, we will have to wait and see
