Anthropic vs Anthropic: Karnataka firm sues US AI company over trademark dispute

A Karnataka-based technology company has filed a commercial suit against US artificial intelligence firm Anthropic PBC, accusing it of trademark infringement and passing off.

Fortune India has accessed the plaint filed before the District and Commercial Court in Belagavi. The suit has been filed by M/s Anthropic Software Private Limited, which has sought permanent and mandatory injunctions against the US firm along with damages of ₹1 crore.

According to the plaint, the Indian company claims it has been using the name “Anthropic” since 2017. It states that it operates in areas such as cloud computing, AI-based education platforms, ERP software and driving safety technology. The company has told the court that it owns the domain anthropic.in and has mobile applications listed on Google Play under the same name.

The filing states that Anthropic PBC, which is headquartered in San Francisco, announced its entry into India on October 9, 2025. The Indian firm has argued that the use of the identical name by the US company has started creating confusion among customers and industry stakeholders.

The plaint claims that when users search for “Anthropic” on search engines and AI platforms, results largely show the US company. It says this has affected the Indian company’s online presence and business visibility.

The filing also mentions that Anthropic PBC holds registration of the trademark “Anthropic” under Class 42 in India, which covers technology and software-related services. The plaintiff has argued that the mark is visually and phonetically identical to its own and is likely to mislead consumers.

Passing off allegations

The Indian firm has alleged that the US company is trying to ride on its goodwill. As per the plaint, “The Defendant’s actions are motivated by the use of passing off its services as associated with the Anthropic brand(...) with the likelihood of damage to that goodwill, are all met in the instant case.”  

The filing further states that adoption of the name by the defendant was “a deliberate act of deception and bad faith” and has the potential to mislead users and business partners.  

The plaint says the Indian company has invested resources in building technology products and brand recognition over the years and fears loss of reputation due to the defendant’s India expansion.

The damages claim has been valued at ₹1 crore. The plaint states that the overall commercial value of the dispute exceeds ₹3 lakh. Court fees of ₹2.57 lakh have been paid as part of the filing.

Anthropic PBC did not respond to queries sent by Fortune India till the time of publication.

The matter is scheduled to be heard next on February 16, 2026, before the Belagavi commercial court.