Former Shark Tank India judge Ashneer Grover, known for his mercurial behavior on the show, is in the news after his name was trademarked. This development was confirmed by Delhi High Court lawyer Aditi Tuteja, an expert in IP rights and trademarks.
Tuteja shared the update with that assurance in a post on LinkedIn. She said Grover's name has been successfully registered as intellectual property under Class 41 of the Trade Marks Act 1999.
The trademark “not only strengthens their brand identity but also expands their commercial reach beyond entertainment,” she said in her note.
She added that celebrity branding is a complex issue in India. However, Tuteja added: “The Trade Marks Act, 1999 does not expressly address them, but celebrities can take advantage of existing laws and court rulings to protect their name and image.”
The Delhi High Court lawyer noted that many celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Alia Bhatt, Kajal, Ajay Devgan and Amitabh Bachchan have successfully trademarked their names.
Soon after the announcement, netizens were quick to take potshots at Grover. Some even questioned whether that meant no one else could use the name Ashneer.
“You should have trademarked your conversation 'Ye sab doglapan hai',” commented a user.
“Now Sony TV has to pay royalty for tagging YouTube videos using Ashneer sir's name. Good move sir. Naam ke paise bhi milne chahiye,” joked a second user.
“Yahi bakwas Karte raho,” commented a third user. “To all future Grover parents, don't name your kids Ashneer anymore (sic),” a fourth user wrote.
“This sounds crazy. Does this mean that any other person on earth named 'Ashneer Grover' will not be able to earn his living in these declared fields. If this is true, it's really absurd,” asked another user.