Court orders GoDaddy to Suspend Fake ‘Haldiram’ Domains in Franchise Scam & Trademark violation Case
Nagpur, 29 May 2025: To protect one of India’s most iconic food brands, the District Court Nagpur has ordered internet domain name registrar GoDaddy to suspend all web domains that mimic the name “Haldiram,” following allegations of a large-scale franchise scam.
The order was issued by District and Additional Sessions Judge R.S. Patil (Bhosale) after Haldiram Foods International Pvt. Ltd. filed a case under the Trademarks Act, flagging serious misuse of its brand trademarks.
Haldirams claimed that multiple individuals had created fake websites, and domains were registered through GoDaddy. These domain names are similar to their official domain – haldirams.com. These imposter sites were allegedly being used for fraud to innocent people with fake franchises and distributor offers, leading to financial losses and confusion among the public.
“Haldiram has never authorized or invited applications for franchises, distributorships, or dealership opportunities,” stated the documents submitted before the court.
Legal representatives for Haldiram highlighted the brand’s historic reputation, pointing out that the original domain has been protected under trademark laws since 2002 and 2003. Despite this, the company continues to receive a large numbr of complaints and legal requests from people across India, many of whom fell victim to the fake websites’ false promises.
The court was informed that Haldiram had repeatedly reached out to GoDaddy, requesting the removal of these fraudulent domains, but the registrar declined to act without a formal court order.
After considering arguments from both sides and examining the documents presented, the court passed an interim order directing GoDaddy to immediately suspend all domain names resembling “Haldiram” until further instructions are issued.
