As Anthropic expands in India, a local software company has filed a court complaint saying it is already using the name “Anthropic,” highlighting how AI companies’ rapid global push could bump into local incumbents.

The filing comes amid Anthropic deepening its focus on India, announces an office in India last October and more recently appointment of former Microsoft India managing director Irina Ghose to lead its operations in the country, highlighting the growing importance of the South Asian market to global AI companies expanding beyond the US and Europe.

In a complaint filed in a Karnataka commercial court in January, reviewed by TechCrunch, the Indian company Anthropic Software said it had been using the name since 2017 and that Anthropic’s recent entry into India had led to customer confusion. The company is seeking recognition of its prior use and relief to avoid further confusion, along with ₹10 million (about $110,000) in damages.

The founder and director of Anthropic Software Mohammadayyaz A. Mulla told TechCrunch that the Indian company is not looking for a confrontation, but an explanation and recognition of its first use in India, adding that litigation is a fallback if clean coexistence is not achieved.

“For now, I am using my legal rights because it has caused a lot of confusion to my customers,” he said.

India, the world’s most popular country and one of the fastest growing internet markets, has become a key battleground for AI companies like Anthropic and its rival OpenAI. The country is also scheduled to host a AI Impact Summit in New Delhi next week, where Anthropic co-founder and chief executive Dario Amodei appeared alongside other industry leaders such as Sam Altman, Jensen Huang, and Sundar Pichai.

A court order dated January 20 and seen by TechCrunch shows that the court has issued notice and subpoenas to Anthropic’s suit. However, it refused to grant an interim injunction and listed the matter for return on February 16.

Anthropic did not respond to a request for comment.