Swiss Government Agency Wins Rare Trademark Case in Indian Court

Armasuisse, Switzerland’s defense procurement office, won a trademark battle in an Indian court, a rare instance where a federal agency took on a private company in the South Asian nation.

An Indian garments manufacturer intended to use a logo showing a white cross on a black background with the words “Swiss Military” on its products. The trademark registration office had cleared the representation in July, which pushed Armasuisse to the Delhi High Court.

While Armasuisse wasn’t opposed to the use of the white cross on a black background, taken together with the wording it could be misconstrued as indicating Swiss ...