Kerala court slaps Rs one crore fine for private dairy for violating state co-op's trademark

Well-known by the popular sobriquet 'Milma', the KCMMF was formed in 1980 as a state adjunct of the National Dairy Programme's ‘Operation Flood’.

Acting on a complaint filed by Milma, the court restrained the private dairy from marketing, sale, advertising and selling any milk or milk products or allied products using trademarks or product packaging similar to Milma’s.

The court also directed the private dairy to pay a fine of Rs one crore with six per cent penal interest rate from the date of the order and Rs 8,18,410 as court fee.

Welcoming the court order, Milma Chairman K.S. Mani said this decision comes as a stern warning against attempts to deceive consumers by fake brands and tarnish the image of Milma.

"Milma is a major cooperative network of dairy farmers in India, and its products are reputed for high quality. We are committed to the well-being of the dairy farmers affiliated with our state-wide network," he said.

Milma had moved court against the brand Milnna, which is being sold in sachets bearing a close resemblance to Milma’s cover design and name.

Milma is a three-tiered organisation. The farmer memberships, which stood at 45,000 when it was taken over from the erstwhile KLD&MM Board in 1983, have grown to over 10.6 lakh through 3,102 milk co-operatives by March 2024.

Milma, over the years, has been instrumental in achieving the national goal of self-sufficiency in milk production in the state, as the goal of the KCMMF is "the socio-economic progress of the dairy farmer through procuring, processing and marketing of milk".