BCCI sued by Champak magazine for using its name for IPL robot dog

Popular children’s magazine ‘Champak’ has taken the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to the court over using the name ‘Champak’ for its robot dog, claiming infringement of a registered trademark, as per reports.

The robot dog, equipped with AI, is used during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) matches, and can be seen interacting with the players, understanding some voice commands, and even dancing to music.

The Delhi High Court reportedly issued a notice to BCCI on Wednesday, following the plea filed by Champak’s publication.

According to reports, the hearing will take place on July 9, with BCCI and IPL required to file a written statement within four weeks.

The ongoing season of IPL, 18th edition of the popular cricketing tournament, has been in controversy earlier, too.

The Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) Ad hoc committee raised serious concerns about the functioning of the State Sports Council after an unexpected loss of Rajasthan Royals against Lucknow Super Giants.

The committee not only questioned its exclusion from the Indian Premier League (IPL) arrangements in Jaipur but also raised suspicions over the RR’s unexpected loss in a match they were seemingly poised to win.

Committee Chairman and BJP MLA Jaideep Bihani alleged foul play, suggesting the match was lost under questionable circumstances. “How did RR lose a match they were winning? What message does this send to the young players of Rajasthan?” he asked.

Bihani accused the Rajasthan State Sports Council of working against the interests of the sport by sidelining the RCA and the government-appointed ad hoc committee from the IPL’s organisation.

Bihani also claimed that not only was the RCA ad hoc committee kept out of the IPL planning, but its members were also denied accreditation. Instead, accreditation was allegedly granted to a secretary of a district cricket association affiliated with the RCA—a move Bihani called a deliberate conspiracy.

Bihani also objected to the use of RCA’s high-value ground equipment and staff for IPL matches without compensation. While the Rajasthan Royals are reportedly paying crores in rent to the Sports Council for use of the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, RCA’s curator Taposh Chatterjee and other ground staff are maintaining the pitch and facilities without any payment. Bihani labelled this a strategic attempt to sideline RCA’s role in cricket operations.

He went on to accuse Rajasthan Royals vice president Rajeev Khanna of deliberately attempting to alienate RCA from cricket affairs. Although RCA has submitted a list of its equipment to both the Royals and the Sports Council for reimbursement, no action has been taken so far.

(with inputs from syndicated feed)