Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has been asked to change the name of his newly-launched shopping portal Khanmarketonline.com, because it clashes with the name of one of Delhi's most popular and posh markets.
An Indian trading lobby called the Confederation of All-India Traders (CAITR) has asked the actor to remove the name Khan Market from the website as it may hurt the brand image of the Delhi market. CAITR said that the name of the website may be misleading and deceptive for consumers and create confusion for the traders of Khan Market.
“A name by custom/practice/usage over a long period of time by a group of persons becomes an intellectual property right of that group of persons is an integral part of principle of natural justice,” it said in a statement, adding that the right to use the name 'Khan Market' lay only with the actual traders of Khan Market.
Established in 1951, Khan Market is considered to be one of the most expensive retail locations in the world, with rentals as high as $235 per square feet. If Khan does not respond to the request, the Khan Market Traders' Association may take the matter to the court.
a gift for my fans . https://t.co/VppaFKHIBH register now for a special treat . and lots more to come .— Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) December 26, 2015
Khan had launched the portal on his 50th birthday on Dec. 27. It is currently not open for business, and is only taking registrations. Legal experts argue that since there is technically no infringement of copyright on the name, the case may not be legally binding.