A David-versus-Goliath battle unfolds in India’s courts as Anthropic Software, a Karnataka edtech startup, fights to reclaim its brand from US AI leader Anthropic. Founder Mohammad Ayyaz Mulla has appealed to the government, citing massive damages from the name overlap that’s eroding his business.
Founded in 2017, the Indian company swiftly registered with key authorities: the Corporate Affairs Ministry, Startup India, and Startup Karnataka. Their mission? Empower rural youth through exam prep apps and tools, earning a government-backed patent in 2018 and a significant contract in 2021.
The dispute ignited last August with a cease-and-desist notice routed through their cloud provider. Negotiations fizzled after a month, but the US firm pressed on, naming an India head and launching a Bengaluru office this week—hot on the heels of touting India as an AI cornerstone at a recent summit.
Belagavi’s commercial court stepped in, issuing a new summons when US Anthropic skipped a February 16 hearing. Judge Manjunath Naik’s directive backs the local firm’s plea for an interim injunction against misleading trademark use.
Business woes mount as search traffic and potential clients flock to the American site’s prominence. ‘We serve 500+ institutions with apps loved by students and parents,’ Mulla told reporters. The mix-up has inflicted heavy financial blows.
With a March 9 court date ahead, Mulla calls on officials to defend startup integrity. This showdown raises alarms about intellectual property protections in India’s competitive AI and edtech sectors, where global entrants are surging.