The Delhi High Court has stepped in to stop the online sale of biscuits masquerading as Britannia’s well-known Little Hearts, putting a halt to what it described as a clear attempt to cash in on a trusted brand.
In an interim order, the Court restrained multiple sellers from making, selling or promoting biscuits that copy both the name and the signature heart shape associated with Little Hearts. The direction also extended to e-commerce, with Amazon instructed to remove such listings from its platform.
Britannia approached the Court claiming its brand identity had been hijacked. The company traced its use of the Little Hearts name back to the late 1980s, noting that the distinctive sugar-coated, heart-shaped biscuits entered the market in the early 1990s. According to the suit, Britannia holds registered rights not only over the name but also over the unique three-dimensional shape of the biscuit itself.
The problem surfaced when products bearing the Little Hearts name appeared for sale online, allegedly marketed by Shri Swastik Organics and others. These listings, Britannia said, went a step further—referring directly to Britannia’s own product and even displaying images lifted from the original packaging.
The Court found this conduct difficult to dismiss as coincidence. It observed that the similarities pointed to a deliberate and dishonest adoption, aimed at riding on the reputation and goodwill built by Britannia over decades.
With that, the Court ordered an immediate restraint on the use of the disputed name and shape in any form, and granted interim relief in favour of Britannia.
