Shark Tank India judge Anupam Mittal criticises Apple, Google and other Big Tech for ‘monetising brand keywords’: Read his LinkedIn post

Anupam Mittal, the founder of Shaadi.com and a judge on Shark Tank India, has criticised the Big Tech – Google, Apple, Amazon, Meta (Facebook) and Microsoft, accusing the of enabling digital ‘free-riders’ to breach trust established by brands. In a viral LinkedIn post, Mittal not only celebrated a major legal victory in the Bombay High Court against domain squatters but used the decision to highlight how tech giants purportedly prioritise ad revenue over trademark integrity.Mittal’s post follows a judgment by the Bombay High Court that ruled in favour of Mittal’s People Group, saying that “lookalike” entities are misusing the Shaadi name. The court recognised Shaadi.com as a ‘well-known trademark’ under Section 2(1)(zg) of the Trade Marks Act, 1999, providing broader protection against infringement across all industries.I don't like to fight but if I have to, I go all in.Last week, the Bombay High Court ruled in our favor against domain squatters misusing the Shaadi name 👊🏼Not imitators.Not competitors.Straight-up lookalikes designed to confuse users and siphon trust. ⚖️The judgment recognized Shaadi.com as a 'well-known TM' under Section 2(1)(zg) of the Trade Marks Act, 1999 & awarded costs of 25 lacs + interest.Brands aren’t built on logos.They’re built on decades of spend, consistency, customer faith, and restraint.Yet squatters show up late, copy the recall, and free-ride.Worse, globally, Big Tech has normalized this behavior by monetizing brand keywords and disintermediating the very cos that built demand in the 1st place. They Do More Evil 😈So this judgment matters. A lot. It says Indian courts are finally recognizing that IP is not a technicality.It’s the economic engine of brand trust. 🇮🇳Huge win for us.Bigger win for every Indian brand & legal pros playing the long game 💪🏼You don’t spend decades building a brand so squatters can free-ride on it.The Bombay High Court ruling against http://Shaadi.com domain misuse is a big signal — IP protection in India is finally getting real.Good for brands. Long overdue.