The Bombay High Court has stepped in to grant ad-interim relief to renowned hairstylist Jawed Habib in a legal battle with former franchisee Rashid Molla over copyright and trademark infringement. The court has issued an injunction preventing Molla from using the “Jawed Habib” trademark and associated copyrighted materials pending a final decision.
Jawed Habib Hair & Beauty Limited, established on April 1, 2006, secured the trade name “Jawed Habib” with formal registration finalized on December 31, 2010. Rashid Molla became a franchisee under a contract signed on June 5, 2017, but the agreement soured due to Molla’s failure to remit required royalty payments. Despite receiving two notices in 2022 to settle the outstanding dues, Molla continued to use Habib’s trademarks and copyrighted artworks, prompting Habib’s legal team to issue a cease-and-desist order on March 31, 2022, which Molla ignored.
In 2023, Habib sought legal recourse by approaching the Bombay High Court with an interim application against Molla for unauthorized use of the “Jawed Habib” brand and original artistic creations after the termination of their business agreement.
Justice Manish Pitale, upon reviewing the submissions and evidence presented, noted a strong prima facie case against Molla for copyright infringement. The judge emphasized, “Unless the ad-interim reliefs, as prayed, are granted, the applicant will continue to suffer grave and irreparable loss, thereby showing that the balance of convenience is in favour of the applicant.”
