Hindustan Lever (now Unilever) and Procter & Gamble are giant companies that make everyday products like Fair & Lovely cream, Sunsilk shampoo, Lux soap, Ponds, Ariel detergent, Head & Shoulders and many more, all sold with special packaging and famous brand names.
In 2002 and 2003 police raids at the shops of Rakesh Goyal and his family in Delhi caught them selling cheap fake copies of these exact products, packed in almost identical bottles and boxes.
Even after the raids the defendants kept making and selling the counterfeits, so the companies filed this lawsuit in 2018 asking the court to stop them forever, punish them and make them pay for the losses. The court quickly gave a stop order in 2005 that stayed till the end, framed issues, and later the defendants stopped coming to court and gave no evidence or reply.
The judge studied the trademark registrations, copyright in the packaging designs, raid seizure memos and the companies’ huge sales records, and found that the fakes were clearly copied to trick customers and ride on the real brands’ reputation.
On 28 February 2026 the court passed a final decree permanently stopping Rakesh Goyal, his family and anyone connected with them from making, selling or advertising any fake versions of these products, ordered them to jointly pay Rs 2,50,000 as damages within four weeks (with 9% interest if late) and also made them pay the companies’ full actual legal costs.
Title: Hindustan Lever Ltd. Vs Rakesh Goyal: 28.02.2026:CS(COMM) 256/2018: 2026:DHC:1821:Tejas Karia.
Disclaimer: Do not treat this as substitute for legal advise as it may contain subjective errors.
Written By: Advocate Ajay Amitabh Suman, IP Adjutor [Patent and Trademark Attorney], High Court of Delhi
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