Bombay HC Dismisses PIL Against Prada Over Kolhapuri Chappals
Court questions petitioners’ locus standi, says only GI rights holders can pursue legal action
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Bombay HC dismisses PIL against Prada over use of Kolhapuri-style sandals.
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Court says only registered GI holders can challenge alleged misuse.
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Prada’s ₹1 lakh sandals deemed similar to GI-tagged Kolhapuri chappals.
GG News Bureau
Mumbai, 16th July: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) filed against Italian luxury brand Prada over the alleged unauthorised use of the traditional Kolhapuri chappals in its latest footwear collection.
A division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne questioned the maintainability of the petition, noting that the five advocates who filed it had no legal standing in the matter. “You are not the owner of this Kolhapuri chappal. What is your locus and what is the public interest?” the court asked, asserting that only the registered proprietors of the GI tag for Kolhapuri chappals could take legal action.
The petitioners had claimed that Prada’s Spring/Summer ‘toe-ring sandals’, priced at around ₹1 lakh per pair, bore deceptive resemblance to Kolhapuri chappals—footwear that holds Geographical Indication (GI) protection under Indian law.
However, the court maintained that the rightful GI holders must represent their own case, not third-party individuals with no direct grievance. “Any person aggrieved can file a suit,” the court said while rejecting the PIL and noting that a detailed order would follow.
