The Delhi High Court has issued a directive to social media platforms such as Meta (Facebook), Telegram, and WhatsApp, as well as the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), instructing them to remove accounts and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) identities that are misusing the trademark of digital payments platform Razorpay for engaging in fraudulent activities.
In addition to this, banks have been ordered to freeze or suspend the operations of the bank accounts being used by the individuals involved in the fraudulent activities.
Razorpay obtained a John Doe order from the Delhi High Court to prevent the unauthorized use of its trademark, with the aim of protecting its customers and preserving its brand identity from financial fraud.
A John Doe order is a type of pre-infringement injunction used to safeguard an entity’s intellectual property rights, which allows the rights holder to take legal action against an unknown infringer when the infringer’s identity is not known at the time of filing the suit.
Effective immediately, this order requires Facebook, WhatsApp, and Telegram to suspend accounts that are found infringing on Razorpay’s trademarks and conducting fraudulent activities,” a statement from Razorpay disclosed.
The company recently filed a lawsuit against unidentified individuals who were posing as recruiters from Razorpay, falsely offering part-time jobs for additional income in exchange for deposits and other deceptive promises.
These fraudulent activities were carried out through platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Telegram.
“This legal order reaffirms our commitment to transparency, accountability, and trust in our services under the Razorpay brand. We are unwavering in our determination to take decisive legal action against any misuse of our brand in order to protect the interests of our customers and maintain their trust in the Razorpay brand,” remarked Shivli Katyayan, head of legal at Razorpay.