The Delhi High Court has clipped the wings of a homegrown businessman who thought he could ride on the glitter of Barbie’s global fame.
Toy giant Mattel dragged Padum Borah to court after discovering that his ventures had been parading under names like Barbie Enterprises, Barbie Kitchen, and even Barbie Catering. According to Mattel, such attempts were nothing more than a deliberate ploy to cash in on the cultural weight carried by its world-famous doll.
On September 9, Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora stepped in with an interim order, siding with Mattel. The judge noted that the continued misuse of the Barbie name risked causing “grave and irreparable harm” to the brand’s reputation. Borah has now been told to abandon the Barbie tag altogether—this includes pulling down social media handles, scrubbing online posts, and surrendering domain names carrying the word.
Mattel argued that Barbie isn’t just a toy but a registered trademark in India since 1985, entrenched in the market since 1987, and jealously guarded across multiple business categories. What particularly raised eyebrows in court was Borah’s bold attempt to register variations such as BARBIE One Stop Solution for HORECA Foods and BARBIE Hospitality, even after receiving a cease-and-desist notice.
The Court underlined the obvious: Mattel owns Barbie, lock, stock, and trademark certificate. With that, Borah’s Barbie-branded business dreams have been legally boxed up and shelved.