Urban Company moves Delhi HC against Kent RO over two-year purifier ads

NEW DELHI: The water purifier battle has spilled into court, with Urban Company securing a commitment from Kent RO Systems to pull down advertisements and social media content at the centre of a defamation and disparagement dispute.

Urban Company filed the suit before the Delhi High Court on August 11, alleging that Kent RO had run a concerted advertising campaign containing false and misleading claims about the two-year filter life and two-year service life features offered with its Native water purifiers.

The dispute covers Urban Company’s Native M0, M1, M2, M1 Pro and M2 Pro models.

According to Urban Company’s exchange filing, Kent RO’s advertisements described the two-year filter life and service-life feature as a “marketing gimmick” and claimed that using the Native water purifiers was “unsafe” and “risky” for consumers.

Urban Company argued that the campaign disparaged both the company and its Native products and amounted to defamation.

The case was heard at length by the Delhi High Court on August 12.

Following the hearing, Kent RO told the court that it would pull down the advertisements and social media content that were the subject of the lawsuit. It also agreed not to run other advertisements or promotional content making the same or similar claims about water purifiers offering a two-year filter life or a two-year no-servicing feature that would disparage Urban Company.

Kent RO has been directed to remove the disputed advertisements and social media content within 15 days from August 12.

The Delhi High Court passed its order on August 12, although the order was published on the court’s website on August 22, according to Urban Company’s filing.

The commitment marks a temporary de-escalation in the advertising dispute, although it does not bring the broader legal tussle between the two companies to an end.

Urban Company and Kent RO are also involved in other legal proceedings that remain sub judice.

These include a patent infringement suit filed by Kent RO, along with a counterclaim filed by Urban Company challenging Kent RO’s patent.

Urban Company has also filed a separate suit alleging tortious interference by Kent RO.

The company said these matters remain pending before the courts and are separate from the advertising dispute.

For now, the immediate issue is the disputed advertising campaign, with Kent RO set to remove the content covered by the Delhi High Court proceedings while the wider legal battle between the two companies continues.