Amazon appeals Rs 340 crore Delhi HC ruling in Beverly Hills Polo Club trademark case

New Delhi: Amazon Technologies Inc. has filed an appeal with the Delhi High Court’s division bench to contest a February 2025 single-judge ruling that ordered the e-commerce giant to pay Rs 340 crore (approximately $39 million) in damages to Lifestyle Equities CV for trademark infringement involving the "Beverly Hills Polo Club" (BHPC) brand. 

The case centres on allegations that Amazon sold products with a logo deceptively similar to BHPC’s registered trademark, diluting the luxury brand’s identity.

The original verdict, delivered by Justice Pratibha M. Singh on February 25, 2025, found Amazon liable for what the court described as “deliberate and willful infringement.” 

Lifestyle Equities, a Netherlands-based company that owns the BHPC trademark, accused Amazon of manufacturing and selling apparel under its private label “Symbol” with a logo nearly identical to BHPC’s iconic horse-and-polo-player design. 

The court noted that Amazon’s products were sold at steeply discounted prices—sometimes as low as 10% of BHPC’s product costs—potentially confusing customers and undermining the brand’s market reputation.

Justice Singh criticised Amazon for employing a “strategy of obfuscation,” operating simultaneously as an intermediary, retailer, and brand owner to evade accountability. 

The ruling highlighted that Amazon Technologies, along with affiliates Cloudtail India and Amazon Seller Services, functioned as a “cohesive commercial entity” but failed to clarify their interrelationships during proceedings. 

The court awarded Lifestyle Equities Rs 292.7 crore for lost royalties, Rs 43.3 crore for increased advertising expenses, and Rs 3.23 crore in litigation costs, totalling Rs 339.25 crore plus court fees.

Amazon’s appeal, filed on May 2, 2025, argued that Lifestyle Equities failed to provide sufficient evidence of trademark infringement. The company contended that the BHPC brand owners, who claimed “extensive goodwill and recognition” in domestic and international markets, did not adequately demonstrate harm caused by Amazon’s actions. 

As per the news reports, the division bench, led by Justice Hari Shankar, has scheduled the next hearing for May 7, 2025, to further examine the case.

According to reports, the dispute began in 2020 when Lifestyle Equities filed a lawsuit against Amazon Technologies, Cloudtail India, and Amazon Seller Services, alleging unauthorised use of the BHPC trademark on Amazon’s Indian marketplace. 

An interim injunction issued on October 12, 2020, barred Amazon from using the disputed logo and mandated the removal of infringing products within 72 hours. While Amazon Seller Services complied and was removed from the case, Amazon Technologies did not appear in court, leading to ex parte proceedings. 

Cloudtail India admitted to selling infringing products between 2015 and July 2020, generating Rs 23.92 lakh in revenue with a 20% profit margin, and proposed a settlement that ultimately failed.