No links to US university: Supreme Court directs Telangana Princeton Colleges to put up disclaimer

Six educational institutions in the southern Indian state of Telangana that use the name 'Princeton' have been directed by the Supreme Court to prominently state that they have no connection with Princeton University in New Jersey, US.

In an ongoing trademark dispute, the Bench hearing the case passed the direction as it disposed of appeals filed by Princeton University. The court highlighted that the American university's reputation deserved protection and mentioned that students aspiring to study at the university will be misled by the use of the name. "There can be no doubt that the petitioner, an Ivy League school in the United States of America (USA), has its reputation and goodwill to protect. Students may well be misled by the use of its name by others offering educational courses," the Bench observed, as quoted by the website Bar and Bench.

The dispute stems from a suit filed by Princeton University against Vagdevi Educational Society and others based in Telangana. There are six institutions under the name ‘Princeton’ and the case is currently pending before the Delhi High Court.

Initially, a single-judge Bench of the High Court denied Princeton University's request for interim relief. However, in September 2025, a Division Bench partially reversed that decision. While the Bench agreed that Princeton had a strong prima facie case, it refused a total injunction because the Telangana institutions had been using the name since 1991 and operated solely within the state. Consequently, the High Court allowed the existing Telangana campuses to keep the name under specific conditions but prohibited them from using it for any new institutions while the lawsuit was ongoing. Dissatisfied, both parties appealed to the Supreme Court.

After reviewing arguments from both sides, the Supreme Court determined that stricter protections were required to prevent confusion. It ordered the Telangana institutions to prominently display a disclaimer on their websites, prospectuses, and admission materials clarifying that they are entirely unrelated to Princeton University in the USA.

To ensure compliance, the Court imposed the following strict conditions, all of which must be met before the upcoming academic year's admissions begin:

• Website Disclaimer: Must be displayed in the largest font size featured anywhere on the site.
• Media Advertisements: Quarter-page notices containing the disclaimer must be published in the Deccan Chronicle and Eenadu newspapers on alternating days from June 1 to June 12.
• On-Campus Signage: Physical display boards with the disclaimer must be placed outside every campus.
• Student Documentation: The disclaimer must be printed on all certificates issued to students.

The Supreme Court clarified that this ruling does not settle the final dispute; all core issues of the trademark lawsuit are still open and left for the Delhi High Court to resolve. Furthermore, the Court urged both parties to push for a swift and final resolution to the suit.

.

The Court clarified that all issues in the underlying trademark suit remain open to be decided by the Delhi High Court and reiterated that the parties should endeavour to have the suit decided expeditiously.