Champak is a robot dog equipped with a camera mounted and capable of performing various moves such as walking, running, jumping and standing on the hind legs, unveiling this IPL season as part of an affiliate marketing and production effort.
The Delhi High Court issued a notice in India (BCCI) to the Cricket Control Board (BCCI) involving copyright infringement lawsuits related to the naming of robot dogs introduced in the Indian Premier League 2025, known as “Champak”. However, the court refused to provide interim relief to Champak Magazine’s publisher, which raised concerns about BCCI’s choice of name.
Champak is a robot dog equipped with a camera mounted and capable of performing various moves such as walking, running, jumping and standing on the hind legs, unveiling this IPL season as part of an affiliate marketing and production effort. Developed by global broadcasting technology companies WTVision and Omnicam, Champak has become a focus during IPL competitions.
Since 1968, Delhi publisher Patra Prakashan Pvt Ltd, Delhi publisher, filed a lawsuit that BCCI has infringed their registered trademark by using the name of a robot dog without commercial purposes and without commercial permission. The magazine claims that the commercial use of the name will dilute its trademark and damage its reputation. They seek temporary commands to prevent BCCI from using the robot dog’s name.
However, Judge Saurabh Banerjee decided not to issue an interim order, noting that the name was chosen through an online poll conducted by a cricket agency and was not adopted by the entity itself. The court held that the magazine did not provide sufficient evidence of the commercial motivations of BCCI to use the name. Justice Banerjee concluded that BCCI’s decision was not arbitrary, but the result of an online poll.
“Where is the commercial element? They’re using it for whatever reason, and now I’m going to decide…please appreciate it. They use AI-generated dogs for what reason, but the Instagram page emphasizes that the name is not their choice and is based on a fan vote.
“The entity naming itself is not adopted. It is empathetic that I would not intend to grant a temporary party ban without hearing them. I do not believe it. There is no complaint, no supporting documents (proving commercial usage).”
In court proceedings, J Sai Deepak, a senior advocate representing the Cricket Control Council of India (BCCI), clarified that BCCI was not chosen by BCCI as the name “Champak” but was chosen through a poll. Instead of linking the name to children’s magazine, fans are linked to the character of the popular sitcom “Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah”.
“Champak Magazine is not the only entity that uses ‘Champak’. In the public realm, the name Champak is used for different characters – series – Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah.
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