Delhi High Court Restrains Jaipur Hotel From Using Logo Similar To Beverly Hills Polo Club
The Delhi High Court has recently restrained a Jaipur hotel from using marks featuring a polo player device that were found to be deceptively similar to the well-known Beverly Hills Polo Club (BHPC) logo. The ex-parte ad-interim injunction will remain in force until February 02, 2026. The order, issued on November 13 by Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, came in a suit filed by...
The Delhi High Court has recently restrained a Jaipur hotel from using marks featuring a polo player device that were found to be deceptively similar to the well-known Beverly Hills Polo Club (BHPC) logo. The ex-parte ad-interim injunction will remain in force until February 02, 2026.
The order, issued on November 13 by Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, came in a suit filed by Lifestyle Equities, proprietors of the Beverly Hills Polo Club trademarks. The court held that the hotel's use of the word “Polo” together with a polo player device was likely to confuse consumers because of the recognition and goodwill attached to the BHPC marks.
Lifestyle Equities stated that it has used the polo player device globally since 1982, holds more than 700 registrations worldwide, and has been registered in India since 1992. It also noted that it has operated in India since 2007 through the sale of apparel and related products.
The company said it discovered in February 2025 that a Jaipur hotel named “Polo Inn & Suites” was prominently displaying marks containing a polo player device on signage, its website, and third-party platforms.
It also pointed to negative online reviews of the hotel, expressing concern that consumers might wrongly associate those services with its brand. Lifestyle Equities clarified that it did not object to the hotel's use of the word mark “Polo Inn & Suites” alone, but objected to composite marks in which the polo player device appeared alongside the name.
The court noted that the BHPC marks enjoy a “formidable reputation and goodwill” and that a prima facie comparison showed the hotel's impugned marks prominently featured a polo player on horseback “a striking and distinctive feature” of Lifestyle's registered mark. It held that the device used by the hotel was deceptively similar to the BHPC device and that Lifestyle had demonstrated use of the device as a standalone source identifier. The combination of the word “Polo” with a polo player device, the Court said, further increased the likelihood of confusion.
Finding that Lifestyle Equities had made out a prima facie case, that the balance of convenience favoured it, and that irreparable harm would result without interim relief, the court restrained the hotel and its related entities from using the impugned marks or any other mark deceptively similar to the BHPC Logo Marks.
The hotel was also directed to remove all such references from social media, e-commerce listings, and other digital platforms. However, the Court clarified that the hotel may continue to use the word marks “Polo Inn & Suites” and “Polo Lounge”, as long as these do not include any polo player device.
The matter will next be heard on February 02, 2026.
Case Title: Lifestyle Equities C.V. & Anr v. Hari Shankar Bilwal
Citation: 2025 LiveLaw (Del) 1534
Case Number: CS(COMM) 1218/2025
For the Plaintiff: Advocates Mohit Goel, Sidhant Goel, Abhishek Kotnala and Kartikeya Tandon