An Indian software company has filed a lawsuit against AI company Anthropic, saying it has been using the name ‘Anthropic’ in India for years and that the AI firm’s recent expansion into the country is causing confusion among customers. The complaint was filed in January in a commercial court in Karnataka by a company called Anthropic Software.
According to court documents reviewed by TechCrunch, the Indian firm says it has been using the name Anthropic since 2017. Anthropic Software is asking the court to recognise its earlier use of the name in India. It is also seeking steps to prevent further confusion and has asked for Rs 10 million in damages.
‘As of now, I am exercising my legal right as it’s causing huge confusion to my customers,’ Mohammad Ayyaz Mulla, the founder and director of Anthropic Software, told TechCrunch.
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A court order dated January 20 shows that the Karnataka court has sent notices to Anthropic about the case. However, the court did not grant an immediate temporary ban on Anthropic’s use of the name. The case is scheduled to be heard again on February 16, as per the report.
The lawsuit comes at a time when Anthropic is increasing its focus on India. The company announced plans to open an office in the country last October. More recently, it appointed Irina Ghose, the former managing director of Microsoft India, to lead its operations in the country. These moves show how important India has become for global AI companies looking to grow beyond the US and Europe.
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India is the world’s most populous country and one of the fastest-growing internet markets. Because of this, it has become a major target for AI firms such as Anthropic and its rival OpenAI.
India will also host an AI Impact Summit in New Delhi next week. Anthropic co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei is expected to attend, along with other well-known tech leaders including Sam Altman, Jensen Huang, and Sundar Pichai.