Former Supreme Court judge Justice L Nageswara Rao is set to mediate a trademark dispute between India's leading whiskey-selling brands John Distilleries and Allied Blenders.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi today requested the former judge to facilitate the process of amicable settlement between the companies on a priority basis.

The development came in John Distilleries' plea against the Madras High Court order which ruled in favour of Allied Blenders, the maker of Officer's Choice whisky, and ordered the removal of John Distilleries' 'Original Choice' trademark from the register of trademarks. In this order of November 7, the High Court held that Original Choice was deceptively similar to Officer's Choice and that its registration violated the Trade Marks Act, 19

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