Urban Company Moves Delhi High Court Against Kent Over Alleged E-Commerce Product Delisting
Kiran Raj
The Delhi High Court, in a suit filed by Urban Company against Kent RO Systems, adjourned the matter to January 21, 2025. The dispute concerns allegations that Kent RO Systems requested major e-commerce platforms to delist Urban Company’s water purifiers, purportedly citing a non-existent court order. Justice Mini Pushkarna heard the matter and allowed Kent’s counsel time to seek instructions and explore a potential resolution.
Urban Company, an online marketplace connecting customers with professionals, launched its Native Water Purifier series in 2023. Kent RO Systems, a company specializing in reverse osmosis-based water purification technology, filed a patent infringement suit against Urban Company in 2024, alleging the use of its patented technology. While the court issued summons in Kent’s suit last year, no interim injunction was granted to restrain Urban Company from using the disputed technology.
Urban Company has now filed a separate suit alleging that Kent contacted Amazon and Flipkart, asking them to delist its water purifiers during peak festive sales, resulting in substantial financial losses. Senior Advocate Amit Sibal, appearing for Urban Company, contended that this delisting caused the company to lose revenue worth several crores and adversely affected its market positioning. Sibal argued that although the products were eventually relisted, the company fears similar actions by Kent during the upcoming Republic Day sales.
Sibal informed the court that Kent claimed to have relied on a court order when making these requests to e-commerce platforms. However, no such order exists, as stated during the proceedings. He argued: “Delisting also leads to us losing the best seller status and position in the list of sellers of similar products.” Sibal requested the court to issue directions restraining Kent from making further communications to e-commerce platforms.
Advocate Rajeshwari Hariharan, representing Kent, questioned the authenticity of the communications cited by Urban Company. She requested additional time to seek instructions, which the court granted.
The court did not pass any interim order against Kent RO Systems during the hearing. However, it was noted by Justice Mini Pushkarna that Kent would refrain from further communications with e-commerce platforms until the next date of hearing.
The court adjourned the matter to January 21, 2025, granting Kent RO Systems time to seek instructions and consider an amicable resolution to the dispute.
Case Title: Urbanclap Technologies India Pvt. Ltd. v. Kent RO Systems Ltd.
Case Number: CS(COMM) 763/2024
Bench: Justice Mini Pushkarna
[Read/Download order]
