Champak magazine takes BCCI to court over using its name for AI robot dog

The Delhi High Court issued a notice to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding a copyright infringement suit related to the naming of the robotic dog introduced in the Indian Premier League 2025 as ‘Champak’. However, the court declined to grant interim relief to the publishers of Champak magazine, who had raised concerns about the BCCI’s choice of name.

Champak, the robotic dog equipped with a mounted camera and capable of various movements such as walking, running, jumping, and standing on its hind legs, was unveiled during this IPL season as part of the league’s marketing and production efforts. Developed by global broadcast technology company wTVision and Omnicam, Champak has become a focal point of attention during the IPL matches.

Delhi Press Patra Prakashan Pvt Ltd, the publisher of Champak magazine since 1968, filed the suit, arguing that BCCI had infringed upon their registered trademark by using the name Champak for the robotic dog without permission for commercial purposes. The magazine claimed that the commercial use of the name would dilute its trademark and damage its reputation. They sought an interim order to prevent BCCI from using the name for the robotic dog.

However, Justice Saurabh Banerjee decided against issuing an interim order, noting that the name was chosen through an online poll conducted by the cricket body and was not adopted by the entity itself. The court found that the magazine had not provided sufficient evidence of a commercial motive behind the use of the name by BCCI. Justice Banerjee concluded that BCCI’s decision was not arbitrary but a result of the online poll conducted.

“Where is the commercial element? They are using it for whatever reason, it’s very early for me to decide…… please appreciate. They are using the AI-generated dog for whatever reason but the Instagram page emphatically shows that the name is not of their choice and is based on fan votes. It’s a majority win,” justice Banerjee observed.

“There is no adoption per se by the entity naming. Empathetically, without hearing them, I am not intending to grant ad- interim ex-parte injunction. I’m not convinced. There are no pleadings, no supporting documents (on proving commercial usage),” the judge said.

During the court proceedings, Senior Advocate J Sai Deepak, representing the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), clarified that the name "Champak" was not chosen by the BCCI, but rather by fans through a poll. He emphasized that the fans did not link the name to the children's magazine, but rather to a character from the popular sitcom "Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah."

“Champak magazine is not the only entity using ‘Champak’. In the public domain, the name Champak is used for different characters – in series – Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. None has associated the name with the magazine but a character,” BCCI submitted.

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