SC lets Telangana institutes use ‘Princeton’ name with disclaimer

Hyderabad: The Supreme Court has directed six educational institutions in Telangana, including The Vagdevi Educational Society, which have been using the name ‘Princeton’ to declare “in clear terms that they have no connection” with the prestigious Princeton University of the US. A Bench of Justices PV Sanjay Kumar and K Vinod Chandran passed the direction on May 29 while disposing of appeals filed by Princeton University in a trademark dispute.According to Princeton University, unauthorized use of its name by the institutes threatened its international reputation and brand equity, and students could easily be misled or deceived into believing these local colleges were affiliated to it. The institutes, however, highlighted their long-standing local presence to establish that they had been continuously using the “Princeton” mark since 1991, and that their operations were confined to Telangana.The Supreme Court bench directed the institutes to notify and publish the disclaimer on their website, their prospectuses, and any other admission material distributed among students. The top court instructed the institutes to print the disclaimer on the website “in the largest font size used” and publish the notice in newspapers in Telangana. “The institutes shall prominently display a board outside each of the institutes stating that the institute has no connection whatsoever with Princeton University, New Jersey, United States of America,” the bench added.Even certificates issued to their students must carry the disclaimer in clear and bold letters. “These directions shall be acted upon and given effect to before the admission process commences for the next academic year,” said the bench.The apex court noted that while a division bench of the Delhi high court had found a prima facie case in Princeton University’s favor, it ruled that the balance of convenience and irreparable loss favored the institutes due to their decades of localised operation. The high court had restrained the institutes from using the “Princeton” name for any new institutions but permitted them to run their existing colleges, provided they submit bi-annual financial receipts.