Mumbai, Aug. 21 -- The Delhi High Court on Friday questioned whether it has territorial jurisdiction to hear Hindustan Unilever Ltd's (HUL) plea against home-care brand Beco over advertisements alleging that HUL's Surf Excel and Vim products contain chemicals that can cause skin irritation and allergies.

"Jurisdiction comes first. Delhi High Court cannot be the only IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) court of the country," said Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani during the arguments. An IPR court handles legal disputes over patents, trademarks, copyrights, and designs.

The question of jurisdiction arose when senior counsel appearing for Beco argued that HUL's principal place of business and the identified physical advertisement are in Mumbai...