HC restrains Abacus Outsourcing

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has restrained Hyderabad-based Abacus Outsourcing and Consultancy Pvt Ltd, from using the trademark and trade name ''Tata'' or the disitinctive Tata ''T''.

Justice A K Sikri, passed the interim restraint order, saying, "I am satisfied that the plaintiffs (Tata) have made out a case for grant of an ex parte ad interim injunction in their favour and against the defendants."

The court restrained Abacus Outsourcing till next date of hearing from using trademark and trade name Tata and device ''T'' or advertising directly or indirectly or any other "deceptively" similar marks under the said trade name giving the perception to the public that it belonged to Tata Group of Companies.

The court also restrained the Hyderabad company from using TATA''s domain name www.Tatalimited.Com, and withheld its ICICI Bank account in which it has deposited the money collected from job seekers.

The Tata Group had approached the court after it found Abacus Outsourcing and consultancy using its trade name and mark ''Tata'' and ''T'' device and projecting it as a subsidiary of ''Tata'' Group, offering them jobs with Tata Group companies.

"Abacus Consultancy is duping innocent and unwary persons and collecting money from such job seekers with assurance that they would get them jobs in the Tata companies," it contended in its plaint, citing letters from the Hyderabad-based company to a candidate stating that it was a recruitment and consultancy subsidiary of the Tata Group.