The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the BCCI, following a trademark infringement lawsuit filed by the publishers of children’s magazine Champak, over the decision to give the same name to an AI robot dog that has become a viral sensation at the ongoing IPL.
The High Court has however declined to grant any interim relief to Champak magazine’s publishers.
The controversy erupted after the BCCI introduced the AI robot dog as a crowd-pleasing feature during IPL 2025. The robotic canine, unveiled via a promotional video on IPL’s social media platforms, made its official debut at the toss of Match 29 between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals. Since then, it has become a popular fixture, delighting fans and players alike.
The BCCI named the robot dog ‘Champak’ following a fan poll on their website, where the moniker topped the votes.
The court has directed the BCCI to submit a written response and summary within four weeks, with the next hearing slated for July 9. The IPL will have long been done and dusted by then, so it is fair to argue that with the Indian judicial system offering little to no financial relief to petitioners even if a ruling were to go in favour of Delhi Press, publisher of Champak magazine, said hearing will serve no practical purpose.
