Unilever India Secures Legal Victory Against Counterfeit Imports
Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (HUL), the Indian subsidiary of global consumer goods giant Unilever, has obtained a decisive legal victory reinforcing protection for its trademarks and copyrighted packaging against counterfeit imports. The Delhi High Court has ruled in HUL’s favor, banning the import of lookalike and counterfeit goods bearing the company’s trademarks or packaging designs.
This ruling strengthens HUL’s ability to act against gray market products and parallel imports that exploit the visual identity of its well-known personal care and home care brands. Key categories under protection include personal hygiene, skincare, oral care, haircare, and household cleaners.
The court’s decision mandates Indian customs authorities to seize counterfeit and deceptively similar products at the border, even if these items are not exact replicas but resemble HUL’s registered trademarks or packaging closely enough to confuse consumers. According to the ruling, the lookalike imports violate India’s Copyright Act as well as the Trade Marks Act, providing a dual basis for action.
A central point in HUL’s argument was that unauthorized imports with deceptively similar packaging risk misleading consumers, eroding brand equity and potentially compromising product safety and efficacy. The court acknowledged that packaging forms an integral part of a brand’s identity and plays a critical role in consumer purchasing decisions, particularly in FMCG categories dominated by impulse buying and brand recognition.
This judgment could set a precedent for broader trademark and copyright enforcement in India’s FMCG sector, where counterfeit and lookalike goods continue to pose commercial and reputational risks to established brands. It also underlines the importance of IP protection as a strategic imperative for brand owners operating in India’s high-volume consumer goods market.
Industry stakeholders are likely to view the ruling as a positive development, reinforcing the need for robust supply chain monitoring and active collaboration with customs authorities. It also sends a signal to importers that packaging infringement—whether intentional or inadvertent—can prompt legal action under both trademark and copyright laws.
For FMCG manufacturers facing the persistent challenge of copycat imports, the Delhi High Court’s decision represents a strengthening of their legal toolkit in defending product integrity and brand trust at the point of market entry.