New Delhi:
Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) today asked actor Salman Khan to withdraw the name ‘Khan market’ from his shopping portal to protect the brand name of the national capital’s upscale market.
Khan market, located in the heart of the national capital, was established in 1951 and is considered to be among the most expensive retail location in the country.
“CAIT has shot up a communication to Actor Salman Khan today urging him to withdraw the name of Khan Market from his web portal ‘khanmarketonline.com’ which he has announced on his birthday on December 27, 2015,” the traders’ body said a press release.
The name of the actor’s portal may not only be construed as deceptive and misleading for traders but also affect consumers, it said, demanding that the name of the web may be changed to assuage the rights and feelings of the traders of Khan Market whose generations have worked to earning goodwill.
Stating that Khan Market is in itself a brand, the CAIT said: “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. Accordingly, the first lien of using the name “Khan Market” lies with traders of Khan Market only”.
It said that thing sold on ‘khanmarketonline’ would also be construed as sold by traders of the actual and physical Khan Market, leading to confusion and misunderstandings for consumers.
Sales discounts that Salman may offer on products may lead to confusion and embarrassing situations for traders and consumers, the statement added.
In a separate statement, CAIT said it will hold a two-day national conference on goods and services tax (GST) on January 5-6 in Nagpur, Maharasthra.
