Anthropic's India expansion collides with a local company that already had the name | TechCrunch

"As Anthropic expands into India, a local software company has filed a court complaint saying it was already using the name "Anthropic," spotlighting how the rapid global push of AI firms can collide with local incumbents. The filing comes amid Anthropic deepening its focus on India, announcing an India office last October and more recently appointing former Microsoft India managing director Irina Ghose to lead its operations in the country, underscoring the South Asian market's growing importance to global AI companies expanding beyond the U.S. and Europe."

"In a complaint filed in a commercial court in Karnataka in January, reviewed by TechCrunch, the Indian company Anthropic Software says it has used the name since 2017 and that Anthropic's recent entry into India has led to customer confusion. The firm is seeking recognition of its prior use and relief to prevent further confusion, along with ₹10 million (about $110,000) in damages."

"Anthropic Software founder and director Mohammadayyaz A. Mulla told TechCrunch that the Indian company was not seeking confrontation, but clarity and recognition of its prior use in India, adding that litigation was a fallback if clean coexistence could not be achieved. "As of now, I am exercising my legal right as it's causing huge confusion to my customers," he said."

A Bengaluru-based software company called Anthropic Software filed a commercial-court complaint claiming it has used the name "Anthropic" since 2017 and that the U.S. AI company’s entry into India has caused customer confusion. The plaintiff seeks recognition of its prior use, relief to prevent further confusion, and ₹10 million (about $110,000) in damages. Anthropic has expanded into India, opened an India office last October, and appointed Irina Ghose to lead operations. A court issued notice and summons on January 20, declined an interim injunction, and listed the matter for February 16. The founder says litigation is a fallback if coexistence cannot be achieved.

Read at TechCrunch