The Delhi High Court has issued a temporary injunction restraining a Bhiwadi-based school in Rajasthan from using the name “Delhi Public School International”, the acronym “DPS”, or a torch-and-shield logo closely resembling that of the Delhi Public School Society (DPS Society). The court also directed suspension of the school’s domain name, dpsibhiwadi.in.
Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora passed the ex parte ad-interim injunction on December 8, 2025, in a trademark infringement suit filed by the DPS Society. The injunction will remain in effect until May 18, 2026.
The DPS Society, which operates over 200 schools worldwide, told the court that it has been using the ‘Delhi Public School’ name since the 1940s and adopted its iconic torch-and-shield emblem in 1948, followed by its leaf logo in 1996–97. The organisation holds numerous registrations for the marks “Delhi Public School,” “DPS,” and its logos. In 2020, the Trademark Registry officially declared these marks as well-known trademarks. The Society also has copyright protection over the shield logo.
The dispute arose after the DPS Society discovered, on October 24, 2025, that a school in Bhiwadi was operating under the name “Delhi Public School International”, using a deceptively similar logo and the DPS acronym. The school was also running a website and email IDs that reproduced DPS’s registered marks. The Society pointed out that trademark applications filed earlier by the Bhiwadi school’s director had been rejected due to conflicts with existing DPS registrations.
After reviewing the materials, the High Court held that the impugned name, acronym, and emblem were “deceptively identical” to the DPS Society’s well-known marks. Given DPS’s extensive reputation, the Court observed that the Bhiwadi school’s director was “bound to have been aware” of the goodwill associated with the DPS brand. The earlier refusals by the Trademark Registry further indicated dishonest adoption.
The Court noted that the matter presented a clear case of triple identity: identical marks, identical services (school education), and an identical consumer base. An average consumer, it said, was likely to assume an affiliation between the Bhiwadi institution and the DPS Society. Finding a strong prima facie case, and noting the risk of irreparable harm to the DPS brand, the Court held that the balance of convenience favored granting the injunction.
The order prohibits the Bhiwadi school and all related persons from using the marks in any form including as a trademark, trade name, corporate name, domain name, or email address. The domain registrar has been directed to lock and suspend dpsibhiwadi.in.
The case, titled Delhi Public School Society v. Delhi Public School International Bhiwadi & Ors., will next be heard on May 18, 2026.
