The Madras High Court has reserved its decision in a trademark infringement case involving Sangeetha Caterers, owners of the Chennai-based restaurant chain 'Sangeetha.' The lawsuit is against their former franchisees who now operate restaurants under the name 'Geetham' in the same city. Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy heard arguments from senior counsels A.K. Sriram for Sangeetha and P.S. Raman for the defendants. The judge allowed both parties to try settling amicably before delivering the verdict and instructed them to inform the court if they reach an agreement. Mr. Raman indicated a possible settlement if the demand was reduced from ₹130 crore to about ₹3 crore. The plaintiff’s lawyer Mr. Sriram said Sangeetha started in 1985, expanding to 29 outlets in Chennai and 21 abroad. In 2009, the company gave franchise rights to Rasnam Foods Pvt. Ltd. for outlets in various Chennai locations. When Rasnam exited the franchise in 2022, they closed Sangeetha outlets but immediately opened restaurants named 'Geetham' at the same places. Sangeetha alleges this was a secret move to misuse their longstanding goodwill and reputation by using a similar brand name. Rasnam Foods claimed the dispute began when Sangeetha denied relocating a loss-making outlet affected by Metro Rail construction. Rasnam said they opened 'Geetham' after assuming no support from Sangeetha and have since operated successfully. They also changed their logo colors after interim court orders and published ads in major newspapers clarifying they are no longer linked to Sangeetha. The court is awaiting final orders unless an out-of-court settlement is reached.