Relief for SII as court rejects trademark-violation plea over `Covishield'

A local court has rejected an application seeking injunction against use of `Covishield' as brandname by vaccine-maker Serum Institute of India (SII), company said on Saturday.

SII is producing a coronavirus vaccine named Covishield, co-developed by University of Oxford and British-Swedish company AstraZeneca. Indian government has purchased 11 million doses of Covishield vaccine.

While court order was t available immediately, lawyer of Cutis-Biotech, which h filed suit, said it would file an appeal in high court.On January 4, Cutis-Biotech, a pharmacertical firm, filed a suit in civil court claiming it was a prior user of brandname Covishield, and sought to restrain SII from using name.

SII h told court that two companies operate in different product categories and re is scope for confusion over tremark.

"Court has rejected application," said SII's lawyer Hitesh Jain.

vocate itya Soni, lawyer of Cutis-Biotech, said order copy was t yet available, but operative order was re out in court.

We will file an appeal against order in high court, he said.