Delhi High Court Restrains Restaurant From Using “Social Circle” Mark Similar To Impresario's “SOCIAL”

On 21 September, the Delhi High Court granted an interim injunction restraining a Dehradun restaurant operating as “Social Circle” from using a mark deceptively similar to Impresario Entertainment and Hospitality's “SOCIAL” trademark.

A Bench comprising Justice Vikas Mahajan observed that “the mark adopted by the defendant is identical/deceptively similar to the trade mark of the plaintiff.”

Impresario has operated restaurants and bars under the “SOCIAL” brand since 2012 and currently has 52 outlets across India. The Delhi High Court had declared “SOCIAL” a well-known trademark in January 2026. Impresario holds over 100 trademark registrations covering “SOCIAL” and its variants, including a registration for “Dehradun Social” in Class 43, which it has used since February 2023.

According to Impresario, it discovered around August 2024 that the defendant was advertising and promoting its restaurant and bar under the name “Social Circle” on third-party platforms including Zomato, Swiggy, Justdial, Magicpin and Google Maps. It issued a cease-and-desist notice in September 2024, but received no response. Further notices also went unanswered.

A search of the Trade Marks Registry in September 2025 revealed that the defendant had applied in September 2024 to register “Social Circle” on a “proposed to be used” basis. The application has since lapsed due to non-prosecution.

The Court found that Impresario had established a strong prima facie case. It held that the balance of convenience favoured Impresario in view of its trademark registrations and the prior judicial declaration of “SOCIAL” as a well-known mark. It also found that Impresario would suffer irreparable loss if interim protection was not granted.

Therefore, the Bench restrained the defendant, its directors, employees, franchisees and persons acting on its behalf from using “Social Circle” or any other mark identical or deceptively similar to “SOCIAL” in connection with restaurant and bar services until the next hearing. Lastly, it issued notice and granted the defendant four weeks to file its reply.