Should’ve trademarked ‘Ye sab doglapan hai’: Netizens after Ashneer Grover trademarks his name

Former Shark Tank India judge Ashneer Grover, known for his mercurial demeanour on the show, is in the news after he trademarked his name. The development was confirmed by Delhi High Court lawyer Aditi Tuteja, who specialises in IP rights and trademarks. 

Tuteja shared the update with the certificate of the same in a post on LinkedIn. She said that Grover’s name was successfully registered as an intellectual property under class 41 of the Trade Marks Act 1999. 

She mentioned in her post that the trademark “not only strengthens their brand identity but also expands their commercial reach beyond entertainment.” 

She further noted that celebrity trademarks are a complex issue in India. Tuteja, however, added: “The trademarks Act,1999 doesn’t explicitly address them,but celebrities can leverage existing laws and court rulings to protect their name and image.”

The Delhi High Court lawyer also mentioned that many celebrities such as Shah Rukh Khan, Alia Bhatt, Kajol, Ajay Devgn and Amitabh Bachchan have successfully trademarked their names. 

Soon after this announcement, netizens were quick to take potshots at Grover. Some even questioned that does it mean any other person can not use the name Ashneer. 

“You should have trademarked your dialogue ‘Ye sab doglapan hai’,” a user commented. 

“Now Sony TV have to pay royalties for using the name of Ashneer sir and tagging him in YouTube videos for the views. Nice step sir. Naam ke paise bhi milne chahiye,” a second user said in jest. 

“Yahi bakwas karte raho,” a third user commented. “To all future Grover parents, do not name your kids as Ashneer anymore (sic),” a fourth user wrote. 

“This sounds crazy. Does this mean that any other person on this earth by the name ‘Ashneer Grover’ would not be able to earn his livelihood in these stated fields. If this is true, it is indeed absurd,” another user asked.