The Hindu Business Line : Patent row over Pogo brand name

Turner International India has dragged potato wafer-maker Gee Pee Foods to court for using its Pogo channel name to brand its wafers, thereby scripting yet another patent skirmish.

The Kolkata-based food company has been manufacturing Pogo chips since 1988, much before the Pogo channel came into existence.

Considering Turner has already launched its licensing and merchandising business in the country through Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE), and has rolled out some of its Pogo merchandise, the channel network believes it now has the right to command a royalty for use of the Pogo moniker.

"We have been making Pogo chips long before Pogo channel came into being in this country. Now it is arm-twisting us into paying royalty. Considering the fact that we have already registered the trademark of the Pogo brand, there is no way we are going to concede to Turner's demands. We are waiting for the court's (Delhi High Court) verdict,'' states Mr G.P. Agarwal, Managing Director, Gee Pee Food Products. Pogo sports a range of potato and flavoured wafers and also had cricketer Sourav Ganguly and Shaktiman (Mukesh Khanna) to endorse the brand.

After Cartoon Network, Turner International launched its second kid's channel — Pogo — in 2004, specifically for the Indian market.

Cartoon Network Enterprises, the global merchandising and merchandising division of Cartoon Network belonging to Turner International, recently unleashed Pogo apparel, stationery and home entertainment.

"We have filed a case in the Delhi High Court to fight this IPR (Intellectual Patent Rights) violation. Our legal team is already working on the infringement of intellectual patent rights and litigation is on,'' claims Mr Jiggy George, Director, Cartoon Network Enterprises - India and South Asia.

Turner International has also registered in India its Pogo trademark, added Mr George.

Need to expedite case

The need to expedite the case is important for the Pogo channel since it intends extending its L&M (licensing and merchandising) activities in the foods and confectionery category in the near future. "We are planning to get into confectionery and food but have yet to tie up with a local vendor for the same,'' adds Mr George.

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