Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise has filed a suit against Uber Moto before the Delhi High Court over the YouTube video featuring Sunrisers Hyderabad’s cricketer Travis Head. This was done because the Bengaluru-based franchise felt the firm had disparaged the team’s trademark.
As per the reports in Live Law, it is learned that Justice Saurabh Banerjee reserved judgment on Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s plea seeking an interim injunction after hearing both sides at length. The Court said:
”I am reserving order. I will pass the order and will dispose of the application.”
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Travis Head is trying to disparage RCB’s trademark – Advocate Shwetasree Majumder
IPL team Royal Challengers Bengaluru sues Uber Moto before Delhi High Court over allegedly disparaging YouTube ad featuring Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Travis Head.
Order reserved on interim injunction application. pic.twitter.com/sobCYIwKW6
— Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) April 17, 2025
Advocate Shwetasree Majumder, who is appearing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, took the court through the description of the advertisement titled “Baddies in Bengaluru ft. Travis Head”, saying that the SRH cricketer is trying to disparage Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s trademark. She mentioned that the batter is running towards the Bengaluru cricket stadium in an attempt to destroy the image.
She said that Head is attempting to vandalize the signage of “Bengaluru v. Hyderabad”, taking spray paint and writing “Royally Challenged” Bengaluru in place of “Bengaluru”, which disparages RCB’s mark. She also expressed that the negative comment will mean that there is disparagement.
She also highlighted how Uber Moto, which is a commercial sponsor of the Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL team, promoted the booking of bikes while using RCB’s trademark in the course of its trade, and its “deceptive variant”, which was not permissible under law.
She also said, “You had millions of creative ways to do advertisement. Did you have to do it using my trademark? And using someone earlier with me? Does parity, fair use defence lie in the mouth of Uber Moto?”
Royal Challengers Bengaluru “severely discounted” the sense of humour of the public at large – Uber Motto counsel
On the other hand, the counsel that appeared for the Uber Moto said that the RCB “severely discounted” the sense of humour of the public at large. He explained that the idea behind the ad was to promote the Uber bike rides ahead of the clash between RCB and SRH in Bengaluru due to the city traffic.
The counsel that appeared for the Uber Moto was asked by Justice Banerjee about two factors: one, Uber being an advertising partner of Sunrisers Hyderabad, and two, Travis Head being the cricketer of that team. Replying to this, the counsel shared why they mentioned that.
He said that Travis Head is not calling RCB “baddies” and is indicating that he will be giving a headache to the opposition. The counsel added that the message of the advertisement is that RCB is going to be “royally challenged” in the match on May 13 and that the public should consider using Uber Moto.
In his explanation, he said: “In the past, teams have challenged RCB and there have been media articles saying RCB has been royally challenged in the match.”
Responding to this, the judge said: “This is open to interpretation. I am being open, the moment you ask a person, a layman or a Court to see the ad and decipher. I can form or have an opinion that is different from yours. There lies the issue of injunction,”
Uber’s counsel, however, mentioned that the case cannot be enjoined as it is covered by commercial free speech. He called the suit “preposterous” and said that RCB should combat humour with humour and not with a lawsuit.
Order would be passed in the interim injunction application – Justice Banerjee
The lawyer of the RCB then said that there is no problem with the humour, but it cannot be done by Uber Moto in a way that takes RCB’s trademark, which is commercially valuable to the IPL team.
The council, however, added that good humour, a sense of fun and banter are intrinsic to advertising messaging, and the said factors will be killed if such a standard, as mooted by RCB, is applied.
After hearing from both parties, Justice Banerjee said that an order would be passed in the interim injunction application and that there was no requirement to file any response.
#BREAKING
RCB takes Uber India to court over ad campaign
RCB sues Uber India in Delhi HC for unauthorised use of franchise name in “Baddies in Bengaluru” ad
Ad shows SRH’s Travis Head spray-painting “Royally Challenged Bengaluru vs Hyderabad” before escaping in an Uber Moto… pic.twitter.com/dvLGQq4SxA
— Nabila Jamal (@nabilajamal_) April 17, 2025
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