'KSRTC' now belongs to Kerala after 7 years of legal battle with Karnataka

Kerala has won the trademark battle against Karnataka. The acronym KSRTC, which was being used by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation and the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, will now be used only in Kerala.

The acronym KSRTC, abbreviated for Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, its emblem and the nickname Aanavandi (elephant cart) now belong to Kerala. The Trademark of Registry has issued an order allowing the name KSRTC, which is commonly used for the vehicles of the Road Transport Corporation of Kerala and Karnataka, now to be used only in Kerala. Both the states have been using the acronym KSRTC for their public transport services for years. But in 2014, Karnataka had sent a notice to Kerala stating that the acronym belonged to Karnataka and that the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation should not use it. Following this, Anthony Chacko, then Chairman and Managing Director of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, applied for the Registrar of Trademarks under the Central Government for Kerala. Then there was a legal battle for seven years between two states.