Apple and Samsung send 'Cease and Desist' notice to Xiaomi, say: Stop using ...

Apple and Samsung have reportedly taken legal action against rival smartphone maker Xiaomi for a series of advertisements in India that made what the two companies consider "disparaging" comparisons to their own products. According to a report in Economic Times, Apple and Samsung have issued separate legal notices to Xiaomi for making disparaging comparisons between its own phones and those of its bigger rivals in advertisements in India.The legal notices are said to be aimed at protecting the brand value of Apple and Samsung in India's highly competitive premium smartphone market.Sources familiar with the matter told the publication that Xiaomi had been served with cease-and-desist notices after its ads "directly hit their brand value." Neither Apple, Samsung, nor Xiaomi responded to the newspaper's requests for comment.

Xiaomi's Ad campaign that seems to have upset Apple and Samsung

Xiaomi's campaign began with full-page print advertisements in March and April that directly targeted Apple's iPhone 16 Pro Max. The ads compared the iPhone's price and specifications with Xiaomi's 15 Ultra model, questioning whether the iPhone was truly "the best." Xiaomi also used a similar strategy against Samsung on social media, directly criticizing several of the Korean company's models.According to Bijoor, even though Apple and Samsung have issued cease-and-desist notices, Xiaomi may have already "reaped the harvest" by provoking the larger rivals where it hurts them most.The dispute is not limited to smartphones. Xiaomi also ran ads comparing its QLED televisions to Samsung's LED TVs, claiming to offer "future-ready technology" for the same price as Samsung's "old technology." Market researcher IDC states that in the smart TV segment, Xiaomi is a close competitor to LG and Samsung in India.

Battle for world's second-largest smartphone market

The move highlights the intense competition for customers in the world's second-largest smartphone market. While Apple and Samsung hold a combined 95% share of the Indian premium smartphone market (devices priced above 50,000 rupees), Xiaomi has been aggressively trying to gain a foothold in this lucrative segment.Experts quoted in the article described Xiaomi's ad campaigns as ambush marketing, a practice where a company uses comparative advertising to portray competitors in a negative light. Harish Bijoor, a business and brand-strategy specialist, said that companies are becoming "more sensitive towards such advertising" and are keen to protect their brand value. "Any kind of either a comparative nature or a disparaging nature is found to be a brand hurting," he said.While companies have primarily issued cease-and-desist notices, sources told the newspaper that they might seek compensation for brand erosion if the situation worsens, although this would involve a lengthy legal process.