Delhi High Court Stops Sale of Fake LexisNexis Law Books
The Delhi High Court has restrained the sale of counterfeit law textbooks published by LexisNexis. The order was passed after the publisher approached the Court alleging large-scale circulation of fake editions of its well-known academic titles.
The matter was heard by Justice Jyoti Singh on February 17. The Court noted that an entity called Parth Law House, along with unidentified persons described as John Doe defendants, was involved in producing and selling the fake books.
LexisNexis informed the Court that several of its leading publications were being copied and sold in the market. These included Pollock & Mulla – The Indian Contract & Specific Relief Acts (17th Edition), NS Bindra – Interpretation of Statutes (13th Edition), and Mulla – The Code of Civil Procedure (20th Edition).
According to the publisher, the counterfeit copies closely resembled the original books. They carried the company’s registered trademarks and reproduced the text almost identically. However, the printing quality was inferior and certain security features were flawed.
The plaint pointed out that the fake books had holograms that could be wiped off by simple rubbing. In genuine editions, the hologram remains intact. The counterfeit versions also carried QR codes that failed authentication checks when scanned.
The Court observed that LexisNexis has built a strong reputation in the legal publishing market. It recognised that sale of counterfeit books harms not only the publisher’s goodwill but also affects students and professionals who rely on authentic legal texts.
“Plaintiff has built formidable reputation and goodwill in the market and it needs no reiteration that by selling counterfeits Defendants are not only harming the reputation of the Plaintiff but also public interest, more particularly, of students and professionals, who are buying the counterfeit textbooks,” the Court said.
After examining the material placed on record, the Court found a prima facie case of copyright and trademark infringement. It also held that the balance of convenience was in favour of LexisNexis.
In view of these findings, the Court passed an ex-parte ad interim injunction. The order restrains the defendants from manufacturing, selling, offering for sale, or dealing in counterfeit copies of the specified books until further proceedings.
Senior Advocate J Sai Deepak appeared for LexisNexis along with a team of advocates including Shoumendu Mukherji, Megha Sharma, Aniruddha Ghosh, Sidhi Pramodh Rayudu and Surabhi Tuli.
The case highlights growing concerns around piracy in the legal publishing sector. The Court’s intervention aims to protect intellectual property rights and ensure that students and practitioners receive genuine and verified study material.
