News
SC upholds injunction against unauthorized use of Chint Power trademark
By AJA Abeynayake
The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has upheld the interim injunction issued by the Commercial High Court of Colombo, which restrains four defendants, including Chint Power Solutions (Pvt) Ltd., from using the “Chint Power” trade name in any manner that could be misleading or closely resemble the trademark of CHINT Group Corp.
The Commercial High Court’s initial order, issued on March 2, 2022, came as a response to a legal action filed by CHINT Group Corp., the registered owner of the ‘Chint’ and ‘Chint Power’ trademarks in many countries worldwide. The company has been selling its products through Chint Power Solutions (Pvt) Ltd. in Sri Lanka for several years, even though these marks were not officially registered in Sri Lanka. The Chint Power Solutions (Pvt) Ltd. was accused of selling products that closely resembled those of CHINT Group Corp., prompting the legal action.
The application filed against the defendants encompassed three key claims: the declaration of the defendants’ trademark as null and void, allegations of violating the plaintiff’s trade name, and unfair competition practices by the defendants.
The appeal petition was filed by the third and fourth respondents, R.K.R Electronics (Pvt) Ltd. and Sriskantharaja Rajivkumar, who were the current assignees of the registered trademarks. They sought leave to appeal and the annulment of the Commercial High Court’s order.
Representing CHINT Group Corp., Attorney at Law Manoj Bandara, argued that the sale of products resembling those of CHINT was misleading and that the “Chint” and “Chint Power” brands had garnered substantial goodwill and reputation in numerous countries. These brands had become well-known trademarks for switches and sockets in Sri Lanka, where consumers readily identified them with CHINT Group Corp. This led to the claim that the defendants’ conduct constituted acts contrary to honest practices, as outlined in s.160(1) of the IP Act.
After careful consideration of the arguments presented by both parties, the Supreme Court’s three-judge bench unanimously ruled to dismiss the appeal petition, without granting leave, against the interim order issued by the Commercial High Court of Colombo.
Representing the defendant-petitioners, Kuvera De Soyza, President’s Counsel, appeared on behalf of the defendants. Senior Counsel Manoj Bandara and Thivanka Hettiarachchi, Attorneys-at-Law, as instructed by Sudath Perera Associates, represented CHINT Group Corp.
The Sri Lanka Navy rescued a fisherman from a local fishing trawler that encountered distress due to adverse weather conditions off the eastern coast of Sri Lanka.
The rescue operation took place on 17 July 2026, approximately 15 nautical miles off Pothuvil. The operation was launched following information received by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo.
In response, the Sri Lanka Navy deployed the Offshore Patrol Vessel SLNS Vijayabahu along with additional craft to conduct a search operation in the designated sea area, where they successfully located the distressed fisherman.
Following the rescue, the individual was brought aboard SLNS Vijayabahu, where naval personnel administered preliminary first aid. He was subsequently brought to the mainland and rushed for further medical attention.
Meanwhile, the Navy, along with the coordination of MRCC Colombo, remains constantly prepared to swiftly respond to the eventualities faced by maritime and fishing communities operating within the island’s Search and Rescue Region (SRR).
The countrywide dengue outbreak has intensified, with the death toll rising to 50, by July 16, as the number of reported infections surpassed 73,000, according to the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU).
The country has recorded 73,455 dengue cases so far this year, with the case fatality rate standing at 0.07 percent, highlighting the severity of the ongoing outbreak.
The Western Province continues to remain the worst affected region, accounting for more than half of the total cases, with 38,700 infections. The Gampaha District has recorded the highest number of cases in the province with 15,341, followed closely by Colombo with 14,625.
The Southern Province has reported 11,382 cases, while the Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces have each recorded more than 6,000 infections.
Dengue cases have shown a sharp increase in recent months, with June recording the highest monthly total of 21,538 cases, while July has already reported 18,076 infections. In comparison, 8,590 cases were reported in May, and 5,651 in April.
Health authorities have identified 175 Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas as high-risk locations during the 27th epidemiological week. An average of 2,677 new dengue cases are being reported daily, prompting authorities to intensify prevention and mosquito control measures.
The Colombo High Court yesterday (17) resumed hearing the money laundering case filed against Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The proceedings were held before High Court Judge Udesh Ranatunga, where evidence was recorded from prosecution witnesses, under the direction of Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara.
President’s Counsel Sampath Mendis, appearing for Yoshitha Rajapaksa, cross-examined the witnesses during the hearing.
After recording evidence, the court ordered that further examination of evidence be postponed until July 24.
The Attorney General has filed indictments, alleging that Yoshitha Rajapaksa committed an offence, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, by purchasing five plots of land in Dehiwala and Ratmalana, valued at more than Rs. 73 million.
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Showers may occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle and Matara districts
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