Delhi High Court Grants Ex-Parte Injunction Protecting 'TOI' Mark Against Impersonating Social Media Accounts

The Delhi High Court has recently granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction to Bennett Coleman and Company Limited restraining the use of the marks TIMES OF INDIA, TOI MOVIES, TOI_MOVIES and TOIMOVIES_, or any identical or deceptively similar mark, by unauthorised social media account operators.

The order was passed on February 20, 2026 by Justice Tushar Rao Gedela.

The court noted that “The Times of India” was recognised as a well-known trademark by the Trade Marks Registry in 2024. It held that the company had made out a strong prima facie case and that the balance of convenience was in its favour.

The company alleged that certain accounts, including @toimovies_, were impersonating its brand across Instagram, Facebook, Threads, X, and YouTube. It said the operators had “slavishly copied the plaintiff's TOI unique red circular logo” to create a false association.

It further alleged that the accounts were monetizing their reputation through a “calculated scheme of fraud”, including circulating a rate card for paid promotions. The company also claimed the accounts embedded a hyperlink to the official Times of India website to create trust.

Justice Gedela observed, “The plaintiff would suffer irreparable loss and injury to not only its reputation and goodwill but the financial and monetary loss to innocent intending advertisers from the public in general, which may not be adequately compensated in monetary terms in case ex parte ad interim injunction is not granted.”

The court restrained the operators, and anyone acting on their behalf, from using the impugned marks as trademarks, trade names or logos, or as part of domain names, social media handles, posts, or other electronic or physical media, including for content creation and reporting relating to the entertainment industry.

It also directed the concerned social media intermediaries to block, suspend, and take down the infringing accounts and to disclose the complete Basic Subscriber Information of the account holders within three weeks.

The matter is listed before the Joint Registrar (Judicial) on April 28, 2026 for completion of service and pleadings.