How the confectionery giants ended a 25-year-old court battle and came together for a sweet resolution
In October 2025, Delhi High Court finally ended one of the most enduring trademark disputes in Indian legal history: Mars Incorporated v Cadbury (India) Limited, a case that had wound its way through the corridors of justice for a quarter of a century.
What began in 2000 as a hard-fought commercial contest between two global confectionery titans ended in a gesture of generosity and grace. Justice Sanjeev Narula’s order did not merely dispose of CS(COMM) 409/2018. It redefined what it means to “celebrate” in the language of law, commerce and humanity.
To understand the weight of that moment, one must revisit where it all began, in a courtroom, in arguments meticulously laid out, and in a narrative of brand pride, creativity and conflict that spanned decades and continents.
The birth of ‘CELEBRATIONS’
Pravin Anand
Managing Partner
Anand and Anand
Tel: +91 120 4059 300
Email: pravin@anandandanand.com
For Mars Incorporated, the mark “CELEBRATIONS” was not just a trademark; it was a vision. Conceived in 1988 by its marketing team in the UK, “CELEBRATIONS” was launched as a unique assortment of miniature versions of Mars’ most iconic chocolates: Mars, Bounty, Snickers, Galaxy, Maltesers and Twix.
Each letter in the word “CELEBRATIONS” symbolically borrowed from these products. The “E” from Maltesers and Snickers, “L” and “A” from Galaxy, and “R” and “S” from Mars. It was a masterstroke of brand integration, and within a year, Mars secured trademark registrations for “CELEBRATIONS” across the world, including the UK.
By the early 1990s, the brand had become an international phenomenon, a staple of family gatherings and festive gifting, amassing more than USD48 million in sales within its first two years. Through airport duty-free shelves and global advertising, its reputation “spilled over” into India.
Cadbury’s entry
Around the same time, Cadbury India launched a festive assortment of its own under the label “CADBURY CELEBRATIONS”. The product was a boxed selection of chocolates such as Dairy Milk, Gems and Nutties, which resembled Mars’ assortment packaging and, most significantly, carried the word “CELEBRATIONS”.
To Mars, this was no coincidence. It was seen as a “mala fide [deceptive] adoption” of its distinctive mark, one that sought to trade on the goodwill and reputation Mars had built globally. Mars filed a passing-off case and sought a permanent injunction against Cadbury, a claim it pursued for more than two decades.
Evidence and reputation
Vaishali Mittal
Senior Partner
Anand and Anand
Tel: +91 1204 0593 00
Email: vaishalimittal@anandandanand.com
Mars presented evidence indicating that Cadbury was aware of the “CELEBRATIONS” brand and had, at one stage, sought registration of certain Mars marks, including Bounty, Galaxy and Snickers, in India, although those applications were later withdrawn. During the proceedings, questions arose regarding the timelines of use and market presence of “CELEBRATIONS” in India.
Aside from its own use of the mark, Mars relied on the principle of transborder reputation, as recognised by the Supreme Court, in Milmet Oftho Industries v Allergan Inc (2004), to support its claim of prior goodwill.
By 2006, following extensive cross-examinations, affidavits and document exchanges, a comprehensive trial record had been compiled, laying the groundwork for what would become a mutually respectful resolution and coexistence between the parties in India.
Path to peace
The legal labyrinth, procedural delays and changing corporate structures turned what might have been a straightforward passing-off action into a generational saga. The case persisted through the transformation of Cadbury India into Mondelez India Foods, through evolving trademark jurisprudence and through global corporate realignments.
By the mid-2010s, the tone of the dispute began to change. Both companies had grown larger and more aligned with global IP values, emphasising coexistence and corporate responsibility. Mars’ global IP team and Mondelez’s legal leadership began direct conversations aimed not at triumph but at resolution.
In 2025, 25 years after Mars first filed its suit, a settlement emerged that was as unexpected as it was profound. It allowed Mars and Mondelez to end their dispute over the name while maintaining their respective trademark rights in India.
The judgment
Narula’s October 2025 judgment marked the full and final closure of all disputes over the mark “CELEBRATIONS” in India.
What elevated this order beyond mere legal finality was its spirit. In a rare and heartwarming gesture, both Mars and Mondelez voluntarily undertook to distribute confectionery assortments or nutritionally balanced alternatives worth INR500,000 (USD5,600) each to Delhi’s government schools, under the supervision of the Directorate of Education and the Delhi State Legal Services Authority.
Narula said: “True celebration lies not in triumph over another, but in generosity towards others.”
By turning a private trademark battle into a public act of goodwill, the court transformed a case rooted in competition into one rooted in compassion. Recognising that some schools might prefer healthier alternatives, the court even allowed substitutions, a small yet symbolic nod to inclusivity and public health.
The legacy
For the lawyers who fought this case, the judgment was more than a closure. It was a statement of legal philosophy. As Bence Bozóki, senior IP counsel of Mars, remarked: “This order is by far the most wholesome legal document I have ever read in my life. It is a beautiful conclusion of an important legal battle.”
Few judgments have managed to bridge the technical precision of trademark law with such a humane tone. Narula’s concluding line, “CELEBRATIONS now denotes joy that is shared and not divided”, gave the word back its natural meaning.
Conclusion
The CELEBRATIONS case will be remembered not merely as a milestone in trademark litigation but as a reflection of how legal battles, when guided by maturity and goodwill, can transcend their commercial origins. It reminds us that IP is a celebration of human creativity, and when creators and corporations alike choose to celebrate together rather than against each other, the result is sweeter than any confection ever made.
ANAND AND ANAND
B-41, Nizamuddin East,
New Delhi 110013, India
www.anandandanand.com
