Keshav H. Tursani, out of personal affection, always referred to his sister as “Adi”, as is common in the Sindhi society. His respect ran so deep that he referred to himself as her servant or “Das”. As a result, the word “Adidas” was coined as a trademark for his textile products.
Meanwhile, the Adidas brand was founded in 1948 by Adolf Dassler, who combined his nickname “Adi” with the first three letters of his surname “Das”. Since 1949, Adidas has been known as a global brand of sports equipment.
Adidas argued that Talsani was using its brand name on its products, causing confusion among consumers. The court agreed with Adidas, stating that Talsani’s use of the “Adidas” name was likely to confuse people about the source of its products. Talsani did not present sufficient evidence to show that it was using the name in good faith or that it was the first to do so.
The two organisations have been engaged in a legal battle since 1992 over the use of the trademark in several courts, including the Bombay High Court.
As a result, the Court ruled in favor of Adidas and issued a permanent injunction, permanently enjoining Tarsani from using the “Adidas” trademark.
