In 1993, Bisleri's parent assigned the Maaza trademark for India to Coca-Cola. Years later, Bisleri moved to register and use Maaza in Turkey — and Coca-Cola went to court in Delhi.
The IP move
The 2009 Delhi High Court decision turned almost entirely on the text of the assignment: what rights, in what territory, with what survival after termination. The court restrained Bisleri from using the mark, reading the agreement's intention to transfer the India rights fully and permanently.
The takeaways
In IP deals, the agreement is the asset — the brand goes where the words say it goes.
Territory, duration and reversion clauses decide disputes years after signatures dry.
Both sides believed they knew what was sold. Only the paper knew.
The lesson for your business
Every licence, assignment or founder agreement in your file drawer is either a shield or a lawsuit. An IP position audit reads them the way a court would — before a counterparty does.
