New Delhi: Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd, the owner of the IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), has moved the Delhi high court against Uber India Systems Pvt. Ltd, alleging unauthorized use and distortion of one of its popular slogans in an advertisement promoting bike-taxi service.
The lawsuit, filed over the advertisement titled “Baddies in Bengaluru” challenges the content and intent of the ad. The ad, released on 5 April, features Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) player Travis Head—a former RCB team member—and has garnered over 1.3 million views on YouTube so far.
Appearing before justice Saurabh Banerjee, RCB’s counsel argued that the franchise holds a registered trademark for “Royal Challengers Bengaluru” and the slogan “Ee Sala Cup Namde” — meaning “This year, the cup is ours” — is a widely recognized slogan among its Kannada-speaking supporters.
The counsel claimed the advertisement is an act of disparagement and trademark misuse, as it features a fictional character — played by Head — entering a stadium’s logistics room and spray-painting the words “Royal Challengers Bangalore”, a deliberate distortion of the official name. Though the ad avoids using full team names and instead labels the fixture as “Bengaluru vs Hyderabad”, RCB’s legal team argued that the allusions to their brand are unmistakable.
“This is a targeted attempt to mock and dilute the identity of Royal Challengers Bengaluru,” the counsel submitted. The team’s supporters, they claimed, have expressed widespread offence, while others have used the ad to ridicule RCB online — amplifying reputational harm.
In response, Uber’s counsel strongly contested the claims, arguing that RCB has “severely and massively underestimated the Indian public’s sense of humour — including that of their own fanbase.”
Uber positioned the ad as a lighthearted promotional campaign, intended to promote Uber Moto as a faster alternative in Bengaluru’s notorious traffic. The ad is set in the context of the 13 May IPL clash between RCB and SRH, and simply encourages viewers to consider bike taxis to reach the stadium in time.
Addressing Travis Head’s role, Uber’s counsel clarified that the player introduces himself with a pun—“Hyderabadi”—which is not intended as a slur or negative character. Rather, it metaphorically suggests that Sunrisers Hyderabad will “royally challenge” RCB in the upcoming match.
The counsel rejected the allegation of trademark violation, stating, “There is no direct use of the plaintiff’s registered trademarks such as ‘Royal Challengers Bengaluru’. The reference to ‘Bengaluru vs Hyderabad’ is generic and does not amount to infringement.”
