Photographer Copyright: Clicked by One, Owned by Another?
In the case of The Cinema Resource Centre v. Ganga Rudraiah, an album of film photographs travelled into an archive after being purchased from a scrap dealer. The…
Dr. Kalyan Kankanala
305 articles
Dr. Kalyan Kankanala is a practicing intellectual property (IP) attorney and author. He is a senior partner at BananaIP Counsels, a well-known IP firm based in Bangalore, India. His writings cover a range of topics relating to IP law, business, and policy, and he has authored several books and articles in the field. He has been contributing to this blog since 2007.
The views expressed here are his own and do not represent those of BananaIP Counsels or its members.
Opposition Settlement and Withdrawal: Trade Marks Registry Sets Friday Hearings to Clear Pending Cases
The Trade Marks Registry has announced Friday hearings for pending opposition matters involving settlement or withdrawal. Its notice dated 31 August 2026 sets out the hearing schedule, document…
DABUS Can Create, but Can It Author? India Decides the AI Copyright Question
An artwork generated by DABUS cleared the limited originality threshold under Section 13, but the application to register it still failed. An AI system is neither a natural…
From the Golden Temple to Television: Gurbani Kirtan, Broadcast Rights, and the Religious Ceremony Exception
In the case of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and Anr. v. Galactic Television and Communications Pvt. Ltd. and Ors., Gurbani Kirtan streamed from the Golden Temple became the…
No Source, No Patent: Calcutta HC Says Fraunhofer Was ‘Shooting in the Dark’ on Bioreactor Biomass Patent
A bioreactor patent promising faster biomass growth through radiation exposure has been refused by the Calcutta High Court for failing to explain how the invention actually works, and…
A Little Biology, Some Chemistry, and a Trademark Called BIOCHEM
In the case of Alder Biochem Private Limited v. Zydus Healthcare Limited & Ors., BIOCHEM had been part of the pharmaceutical market for several decades before Alder adopted…
A Sound Beginning or Chaos in the Making? Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Patent Examination
The Indian Patent Office has taken a necessary first step by issuing Guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence in patent examination. The real test, however, lies in…
No Class Can Contain GHOSTBUSTERS? Delhi High Court on Well Known Marks and Bad Faith
In the case of Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. v. Registrar of Trade Marks & Anr., GHOSTBUSTERS encountered an unusual trademark rival outside the world of films, entertainment and…
Mind Your Claims: Delhi High Court Frames Guidelines for Mental Acts Under Section 3(m)
In the case of T-Mobile International AG and Co. KG v. The Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks and Another, the Delhi High Court addressed a…
Patent Opposition Gone Off Script: Bombay High Court Calls for Reasons, Evidence and Locus
In the case of Saathi, Inc. v. Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks and Anr., a granted patent was revoked despite an Opposition…