New Delhi, March 10 (IANS) Anthropic Software founder Mohammad Ayyaz Mulla on Tuesday said that both the US-based artificial intelligence firm Anthropic PBC and its Indian subsidiary Anthropic India Private Limited will now have to appear in court in connection with a trademark infringement case over the name ‘Anthropic’.
Speaking to IANS, Mulla said that during the latest hearing on March 9, the Indian arm of the company appeared before the court after receiving summons.
However, the representatives argued that they are a separate legal entity from the US-based company which had originally been made a party in the case.
“On the last date, we had issued summons to Anthropic India Private Limited and they appeared before the court on March 9. Their argument was that they are Anthropic India Private Limited, while we had made Anthropic PBC a party to the case,” Mulla said.
He explained that when the case was registered in early January, the Indian subsidiary had not yet been incorporated.
“Anthropic India Private Limited, which is the Indian wing of the US company, got registered only at the end of January. When we filed the case, they were not registered, so we made the US company a party,” he told IANS.
According to Mulla, since the company now has an Indian entity, the notice was sent to its local office.
However, the representatives claimed that the Indian subsidiary and the US parent are technically two different companies and therefore the case should not proceed against them in the same manner.
“They argued that the company we made a party is different and they are technically a separate company. With this argument they were trying to pull the case away,” he said.
Mulla added that the court has now allowed them to implead the Indian entity as well, meaning both companies will have to respond to the case.
“We were able to implead them successfully and continue the case. Now along with the US company, we are also making this Indian company a party. From the next hearing, both the Indian company and the US company will have to appear in the case,” he said.
--IANS
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