Anthropic faces trademark complaint from Indian software firm

An Indian software company, Anthropic Software, has filed a court complaint against the US artificial-intelligence firm Anthropic in a commercial court in Karnataka. The complaint, filed in January, alleges that the US company’s entry into India has caused customer confusion. The local firm, which says it has used the name since 2017, is seeking ₹10 million (about $110,000) in damages. The lawsuit highlights the friction that can occur when U.S. technology companies expand into new geographic territories where local businesses already operate under similar names.

This legal challenge coincides with Anthropic’s broader push into the South Asian market. The US firm announced an India office last October and recently appointed former Microsoft executive Irina Ghose to lead its operations in the country. This expansion highlights the region’s growing importance to AI companies expanding beyond the U.S. and Europe. India has become a key battleground for Anthropic and its rival OpenAI, as both companies seek to capture market share in the country. The dispute comes as India prepares to host the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, where Anthropic co-founder and chief executive Dario Amodei is scheduled to appear alongside other industry leaders, including Sam Altman, Jensen Huang, and Sundar Pichai.

A court order issued on January 20 shows that the commercial court has issued notice and suit summons—which serves as a legal notice to appear in court—to Anthropic. However, the court declined to grant an interim injunction, which is a temporary court order preventing an action, and has listed the matter to return on February 16. Mohammad Ayyaz Mulla, the founder and director of Anthropic Software, explained that the Indian company was not seeking confrontation, but clarity and recognition of its prior use in India. He added that the 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,” Mulla said. Anthropic did not respond to a request for comment.

Why it matters

This dispute illustrates the growing friction between U.S. and European AI companies expanding into new markets and local incumbents who may hold pre-existing trademark rights.