The PlayStation 5 has not yet received an official release date in India. This could also be due to the fact that Sony does not own the trademark rights to the term PS5 there. A private individual snatched it up a few months earlier. And this guy is reportedly now facing trouble from angry Sony fans.
What is the situation in India? While the PS5 is set to launch in Europe on November 19, 2020, and in some countries even on November 12, the situation in India remains unclear. So far, Sony has not published an official release date.
According to a report from the site The Mako Reactor, there is another curious problem that may delay the console’s launch: It seems that Sony does not actually hold the rights to the brand “PS5” in India. It appears that a private individual named Hitesh Aswani owns it. As per the database of the Indian patent office, the trademark was registered on October 29, 2019. Sony only followed up on February 2, 2020, making the trademark status for “PS5” in India officially “Contested”.
Sony is likely to win the trademark dispute
Is the PS5 delayed in India because of this? Since Sony does not hold all the rights to the PlayStation 5, this could indeed delay the launch until this issue is resolved. According to The Mako Reactor, which reportedly consulted legal experts, it should theoretically be no problem for Sony to prevail against a private individual who likely has no substantial interest in the PS5 brand.
Nonetheless, the matter must be officially clarified, and possibly Sony is withholding information about the launch because of this.
In the past, a company had already encountered issues with the launch of its products in India. It was about the Zenfone from ASUS. There, an Indian phone company held the rights to the term Zen, preventing ASUS from marketing the product under that name in India.
Angry fans threaten trademark holder
What is happening right now on the internet: A mob of furious Indian PS5 fans is raging on Reddit and other platforms. Whether or not the legal situation is actually responsible for a potentially delayed PS5 release in India, the anger of the community is currently directed at Hitesh Aswani. According to reports, he has already asked for police protection on Twitter.
If we believe the quotes circulating on the internet, various PS5 fans wish him nothing good. It has been mentioned online that his data and social media accounts should be published, and that he should be harassed until he voluntarily relinquishes the trademark rights.
However, regardless of when the PS5 comes to India, in a country with over 1.4 billion inhabitants, the current shortage of available consoles is another problem. As of now, no console can be officially pre-ordered. Scalpers on eBay are shamelessly taking advantage of this and are demanding over 10,000 euros for a console.
