GoAir challenges use of 'go' in rival IndiGo's domain name

Mumbai: Taking carrier rivalry to a new level, the owner of GoAir airlines moved the Bombay High Court seeking direction to rival Interglobe Aviation Ltd to remove the prefix 'go' from their airline's web address 'goindigo.In' but the hearing also saw some lighter moments.

Justice Gautam Patel was left flummoxed on why Google India Limited was also made a defendant party in the suit by Go Holdings Private Limited and quipped tongue-in-cheek that it was good that the petitioner was not seeking that the online giant also change its name to 'ogle'.

"For reasons that are presently unclear so far, Google India Limited, the 2nd Defendant, is also said to be liable. Advocate Amit Jamsandekar for the plaintiff grants that this is not because the word 'Go' is also part of Google's corporate and domain name.

"That is all to the good, for the alternative is unthinkable ? we might otherwise be forced to ogle the Web," Justice Patel quipped.

The court directed the defendants to file their reply affidavits and the plaintiff to file its rejoinder to the affidavits by January 31 next year.

The Wadia group-led GoAir challenged the use of the word 'Go' in the domain name goindigo.In.

"The suit has not challenged the use of the word 'Go' in the trailing; a small mercy as it happens, for that might be a demand that IndiGo should be rechristened 'Indi'," Justice Patel noted in his order on October 3.