What’s In A Name? For GoBoult, Another Courtroom Clash

D2C consumer electronics brand Boult Audio’s attempt to rebrand itself as GoBoult has hit a legal roadblock. A Bengaluru commercial court has issued an ad-interim injunction restraining the brand from selling or advertising products under the name GoBoult, ruling that it is deceptively similar to GoBold, a registered trademark owned by DPAC Ventures LLP.

DPAC Ventures, known for its consumer electronics brand GOVO, was set up in 2020 and sells audio products such as soundbars, headphones, and speakers. 

The company moved the court, arguing that GoBoult was deceptively similar to its GoBold trademark and alleged that the brand was attempting to mislead consumers by diverting search traffic. 

The plaintiff also claimed that Boult had previously manipulated online search results so that queries for GoBold surfaced GoBoult products.

The court said DPAC Ventures had established a prima facie case, noting that its trademarks GoBold, GoJolt, and GOVO are valid until 2031. It held that Boult’s continued use of the new name could cause irreparable damage to the plaintiff and barred the company from selling, advertising, or promoting goods under the name GoBoult until further orders.

However, the court dismissed GoBold’s request to bypass mediation under Section 12-A of the Commercial Courts Act. It directed both parties to initiate mediation through the District Legal Services Authority and submit a report before the next hearing on October 15, 2025.

Inc42 has reached out to Boult for a comment on the development. The story will be updated on receiving a response.

Notably, Boult unveiled its GoBoult rebranding in August 2025, presenting it as the start of a new growth chapter. At the time, cofounder and CEO Varun Gupta told Inc42 that the shift reflected the company’s ambitions to go upmarket, strengthen offline retail, expand globally, and prepare for a public listing.

The move came in the shadow of a long-running legal fight with another D2C brand boAt, which began in 2019. Last month, a two-judge bench of the Delhi High Court ruled that Boult and boAt’s trademarks were deceptively similar and barred the company from using its old brand identity.

The Delhi HC, however, stopped short of restraining Boult from using the new GoBoult name. It said the fresh branding was not part of the original petition, and since no injunction applied to it at the time, Boult was free to adopt it. That leeway lasted less than a month before GoBold challenged the rebrand in Bengaluru.

boAt first sued Boult in 2019, claiming that the latter’s name, triangular logo, and tagline “Unplug Yourself” were crafted to mimic boAt’s brand identity and piggyback on its rising market share.

In January 2020, a single-judge bench of the Delhi HC issued an interim injunction restraining Boult from using its tagline, though this was later overturned. However, in September 2025, a two-judge bench upheld the injunction against Boult’s old trademark. 

Edited by Vinaykumar Rai