The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has landed in legal trouble after naming its new robotic dog “Champak” during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The name, familiar to many Indians as a long-running children’s magazine, has sparked a trademark infringement case, with the publishers of Champak taking the cricket body to court.

The matter came to light after BCCI introduced a four-legged AI-powered robotic dog into the IPL, a tech marvel designed to walk, run, jump, and interact with players on the ground. The robot had been appearing during matches, surprising fans and players alike with its mobility and interactive features, including a built-in camera to enhance the viewing experience. Before its official naming, it had already made rounds near major players such as MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya, grabbing significant public attention.

The BCCI announced the robot’s name — Champak — just ahead of a high-profile match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. While fans on social media welcomed the quirky addition to the cricketing spectacle, the publishers of the Champak magazine were far from amused.

Soon after the naming, the publishers filed a plea in the Delhi High Court, claiming that the use of the name “Champak” for the robotic dog caused significant brand dilution and harm to the goodwill built over decades. The magazine Champak, known widely among Indian households as a beloved children’s publication, has been in circulation for several decades and is recognized for its iconic characters and educational content.

The plea submitted to the court argued that the use of the name during IPL matches, which are viewed by over 200 million people across the country, has caused “irreparable harm” to the brand by diluting its identity and unfairly capitalizing on its reputation. The publishers emphasized that associating the name “Champak” with a mechanical entertainment feature undermined the credibility and emotional value their brand has developed over generations.

Justice Saurabh Banerjee, presiding over the matter, acknowledged the magazine’s longstanding presence in Indian media and questioned BCCI and IPL’s decision to use an already established brand name. However, no interim order was passed to halt the use of the name. Instead, the court has directed both BCCI and the IPL to file their responses within four weeks, with the next hearing scheduled for July 9.

Interestingly, BCCI’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate J Sai Deepak, pushed back against the claims, arguing that “Champak” is also the name of a flower (Champa) and that the public was more likely to associate the robotic dog with the name’s botanical or fictional roots — such as characters from television shows — than the children’s magazine. This defense points to a broader debate around the scope of trademark protection and the overlap of names in different domains.

Social media users, meanwhile, have responded to the situation with humor and memes. Many were amused by the irony of the dispute, with some even admitting they were unaware of the magazine’s existence. Comments like “Next, Champak magazine will get sued by botanists for copying the name of a plant” and GIFs of the Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah character named Champaklal added a layer of online satire to the legal standoff.

While the final ruling is still pending, the case raises pertinent questions about intellectual property, brand identity, and the increasing intersection of technology and entertainment. As the IPL continues with its mix of cricket and spectacle, it remains to be seen whether the robotic dog will retain its controversial name — or if the pages of Champak magazine will succeed in writing a new chapter in this ongoing saga.

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Source – Financial Express