Karnataka court summons US AI firm Anthropic in trademark dispute with local company
A court in Karnataka has issued fresh summons to US-based artificial intelligence company Anthropic in a trademark infringement case filed by a state-based firm that claims prior use of the same brand name.
The complaint was filed by Anthropic Software Private Limited in the Commercial Division of the District Court in Belagavi. The Indian firm has alleged that the San Francisco-headquartered AI company’s use of the name “Anthropic” has caused market confusion, misrepresentation, and dilution of its brand identity in India.
The court issued fresh summons for March 9 after representatives of the US company did not appear at the earlier hearing scheduled on February 16.
“We are the prior user,” says founder
Mohammad Ayyaz Mulla, founder and director of Anthropic Software, said the company has been operating under the “Anthropic” name since 2017—four years before the US AI firm was established.
“Even though we are smaller, we are the prior user of the brand name,” Mulla said, adding that the company operates under the domain anthropic.in and uses the name consistently across platforms and customer communications.
He claimed that online searches for “Anthropic” largely redirect users to anthropic.com, the US company’s website, making it difficult for his firm to maintain digital visibility. “We are hit with complete invisibility,” he said, arguing that the overlap is affecting business prospects.
Anthropic Software develops digital platforms in areas such as education, connectivity, and safety. The company also received recognition from the Karnataka government for developing QuickTunes, a solution aimed at addressing distracted driving-related fatalities.
Dispute unfolds amid India expansion
The legal dispute comes at a time when the US-based Anthropic is rapidly expanding its presence in India. Earlier this week, the AI firm inaugurated an office in Bengaluru—its second in Asia after Tokyo—and announced new partnerships in the country.
India has emerged as one of the fastest-growing markets for the company’s AI assistant, Claude. The startup said its revenue run-rate in India has doubled since announcing expansion plans in October 2025, reflecting adoption across enterprises, digital-native firms, and startups.
With both companies asserting their claim over the “Anthropic” name, the case is likely to test how trademark law addresses brand identity conflicts in an increasingly globalised digital economy.
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