Kerala to be sole owner of acronym KSRTC after winning legal battle with Karnataka

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: From now on, only Kerala has the right to use the name and logo of KSRTC. After a seven-year legal battle between the Karnataka and Kerala Transport Corporations, the Registrar of Trademarks has ordered that the name KSRTC be used only by Kerala. KSRTC is the sole owner of the nickname 'Aanavandi'. The order is under the Trademarks Act 1999.

Road transport corporations in Karnataka and Kerala uses the acronym KSRTC. However, in 2014, Karnataka sent a notice stating that it belonged to Karnataka and that Kerala Transport should not use it. Later, Kerala also came to the fore legally.

Kerala got the ownership of the name after stating that the acronym KSRTC was first used in Kerala. Kerala started using the term KSRTC in 1965 after the formation of the state. In Karnataka, the acronym was first used in 1973.