SC Directs Matrimony.com & Jodi365 To Explore Settlement In Trademark Dispute

The Supreme Court has instructed two tech companies, Matrimony.com and Jodi365's operator Free Elective Network Pvt Ltd., to explore a settlement in their ongoing trademark dispute. The case has been ongoing for five years, with Matrimony.com challenging the recent Madras High Court ruling that forced it to use a different trademark for its matchmaking app.

Initially, Matrimony.com offered to rename its app as 'Jodi Matrimony' to avoid the need to shut down the business or upset its existing users. However, the Court has directed them to discuss the proposal for a settlement. Matrimony.com's counsel argued that Free Elective's trademark for "Jodi" was only applicable to certain service classes, and that the word "Jodi" itself is descriptive of matchmaking in several Indian languages.

Free Elective, represented by senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, emphasized that they had been using "Jodi365" since 2009 and had filed an application to register it as a standalone trademark shortly after Matrimony.com launched "Jodii." The Court observed that there seemed no need to interfere with the Madras High Court's ruling and directed the two parties to settle their dispute without intervention.