202608.19
36

Delhi High Court Sets Out a Seven-Step Test for Patentability of Mental Acts under Section 3(m) of the Patents Act

Background of the Case The appeal arose from the refusal of Indian Patent Application No. 468/DELNP/2008 titled “Method and Arrangement for Optimising the Operational Times and Cell Change Performance of Mobile Terminals.” During the proceedings, the Court noted that despite the existence of Section 3(m), there were no clear guidelines on how Patent Office examiners…

202608.18
36

The Price of Disobedience: Bombay High Court Imposes ₹50 Lakh Exemplary Costs in NOVA–NONI Dispute

The Bombay High Court recently considered two applications alleging wilful breach and disobedience of an injunction granted on 24 November 2010 in a trademark and copyright dispute concerning the mark “NOVA” and its associated artistic work. Since both applications arose from substantially the same alleged violations, the Court considered them together and disposed of them…

202608.10
36

Can Foreign Server Locations Oust the Jurisdiction of Indian Courts? The Emerging Position in Indian Digital Jurisprudence

The internet has blurred traditional ideas of territoriality. Businesses now rely on cloud infrastructure, data is stored and processed across borders, artificial intelligence models are trained on servers in different countries, and digital intermediaries operate through globally distributed networks. Against this backdrop, defendants in intellectual property disputes increasingly argue that Indian courts lack jurisdiction simply…

202608.06
36

L’Oréal Permitted to Add Infringement Claim in a Passing-Off Suit

In a recent decision, the High Court of Delhi considered whether a plaintiff that had instituted a passing-off action could amend its plaint to add a claim for trade mark infringement after securing registration of the mark during the pendency of the suit. The judgment affirms that procedural law should facilitate the effective adjudication of…

202608.04
36

Delhi High Court Clarifies When Trademark Disputes Can Be Referred to Arbitration

In a significant ruling concerning the arbitrability of trademark disputes arising from contractual arrangements, the Division Bench of the Delhi High Court allowed an appeal against an order of the District Judge (Commercial), South District, Delhi, and referred the dispute between the parties to arbitration under Section 8 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996….

202607.29
36

Fair Dealing in the Age of AI: Delhi High Court’s Ruling in ANI v. OpenAI

CS(COMM) 1028/2024, I.A. 45301/2024 & I.A.26192/2025 Date of decision 24th July 2026 This judgment is among the first significant Indian decisions to examine how traditional copyright principles apply to generative artificial intelligence and large language models. In refusing interim relief to ANI Media Pvt. Ltd., the Delhi High Court considered whether OpenAI’s use of publicly…

202607.28
36

A Registered Trademark Doesn’t Mean You Own Every Word in It: Kerala High Court on “MALABAR”

Background The dispute arose from a suit filed by Malabar Gold Private Ltd. against M. Manuel, proprietor of “Malabar Fashion Jewellery,” before the Additional District Judge-II, Kozhikode, alleging trademark infringement, copyright infringement, passing off, and related reliefs. The plaintiff claimed exclusive rights over the registered trademark “MALABAR GOLD” and its logo in Class 14, asserting…

202607.23
36

Exide v. Amara Raja: Courts Reinforce Protection for Distinctive Product Get-Up

This dispute concerns two leading battery manufacturers-Exide Industries Limited (“Exide”) and Amara Raja Energy and Mobility Limited (“Amara Raja”) and centers on Amara Raja’s alleged imitation of Exide’s distinctive trade dress and resulting passing off. The key question before the Calcutta High Court was whether Amara Raja’s adoption of a similar red-and-white color scheme, packaging…

202607.22
36

boAt v. BOULT: Delhi High Court Refuses Fresh Injunction Over Standalone Word Mark

CS(Comm) 519/2019 Judgement dated 06 July 2026 Brief Background The dispute concerns trademark rights over the competing marks ‘boAt’ and ‘BOULT’ for smart wearables and audio products, including headphones, earphones and smartwatches. Imagine Marketing Pvt. Ltd. (Plaintiff), owner of the ‘boAt’ brand, filed a suit against Exotic Mile (Defendant), owner of the ‘BOULT’ brand, alleging…

202607.20
0

No Legal Right to Be Featured on ChatGPT: Calcutta High Court Dismisses IndiaMART’s Plea

The Calcutta High Court rejected IndiaMART’s request for interim relief against OpenAI, holding that there is no legal right to compel a private AI platform to display or promote a business’s links. The Court found that IndiaMART’s grievance was primarily commercial in nature and did not establish trademark infringement, disparagement, copyright infringement, or any independent…