In the case of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan vs Aishwaryaworld.Com, the Delhi High Court restrained several websites, online sellers, and digital content creators from misusing the identity of the celebrity through unauthorised merchandise, websites, AI-generated impersonations, and obscene deepfakes.
Read more about Aishwarya Rai Gets Court Relief Against Deepfakes, Fake Merchandise, and Online ImpersonationAuthor: Dr. Kalyan Kankanala
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.
Glucon-D and Glucon-C Trademark Suit: Court Says Pre-Litigation Mediation is Mandatory
In the case of Zydus Wellness Products Ltd. v. Karnal Foods Pack Cluster Limited, involving the trademarks “Glucon-D” and “Glucon-C”, the Himachal Pradesh High Court reiterated that plaintiffs must mandatorily attempt pre-litigation mediation before filing commercial suits, unless there is a clear and justifiable urgency requiring interim relief. The Court examined the timeline of the plaintiff’s actions and found no genuine urgency to bypass the mediation step.
Read more about Glucon-D and Glucon-C Trademark Suit: Court Says Pre-Litigation Mediation is MandatoryProducts Made During Patent Term are Infringing Even After Expiry
In the case of Boehringer Ingelheim v. Femilab Healthcare, the Himachal Pradesh High Court ruled that interim injunctions granted to prevent patent infringement cannot continue after the patent has expired. The court held that such relief loses effect with the end of the patent term. However, it stated that infringing products made during the patent’s validity may still be restrained from being sold or used after the patent expires.
Read more about Products Made During Patent Term are Infringing Even After ExpiryActor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam Flag Use Allowed as Court Finds No Prima Facie Trademark or Copyright Violation
In the case of G B Pachaiyappan vs Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, the Madras High Court addressed claims of trade mark infringement, copyright infringement, and passing off against a political party over its use of a flag allegedly similar to one adopted earlier by a social trust. The court declined to grant interim injunctions.
Read more about Actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam Flag Use Allowed as Court Finds No Prima Facie Trademark or Copyright ViolationYatra Trademark Claim Rejected: No Monopoly Over Common Travel Terms, Says Court
In the case of Yatra Online Limited v. Mach Conferences and Events Limited, the Delhi High Court examined whether a travel company could claim exclusive rights over the term ‘YATRA’. Concluding that the mark was descriptive and not distinctive, the Court refused to restrain the defendant from using a similar mark.
Read more about Yatra Trademark Claim Rejected: No Monopoly Over Common Travel Terms, Says CourtOral Insulin Patent Case: Efficacy Not a Requirement Under Section 3(e)
In the case of Oramed Ltd. v. Controller General of Patents & Designs, the Calcutta High Court examined the refusal of a patent for an oral insulin composition. The Court held that inventive step cannot be determined by combining prior art without a clear rationale and stated that therapeutic efficacy is not a requirement under Section 3(e) of the Patents Act. The refusal order was set aside and the matter was remanded for fresh consideration.
Read more about Oral Insulin Patent Case: Efficacy Not a Requirement Under Section 3(e)Disco Dancer Copyright in Court: Remake, Adaptation, or Sequel?
In a recent case involving the iconic film Disco Dancer, the Bombay High Court examined whether a stage musical and a proposed new film were a remake, an adaptation, or a sequel. The Court held that the musical was an adaptation covered by Shemaroo’s rights, but refused to restrain the new film since Shemaroo had not pleaded infringement in its plaint. The order pointed out the difference between remake, adaptation, and sequel under Indian copyright law.
Read more about Disco Dancer Copyright in Court: Remake, Adaptation, or Sequel?Trademark Pride and Precedent: Blenders Pride, London Pride, and Imperial Blue on the Rocks
In the case of Pernod Ricard India Pvt Ltd vs Karanveer Singh Chhabra, the Supreme Court of India considered whether the respondent’s use of the mark “LONDON PRIDE” for whisky prima facie amounted to trademark infringement and passing off. The appellants alleged that the respondent copied elements of their registered marks “BLENDERS PRIDE”, “IMPERIAL BLUE”, and “SEAGRAM’S”, including their packaging, colour scheme, and embossed bottles. After reviewing the arguments and legal framework, the Court declined to grant interim relief, holding that the marks were not deceptively similar and that the term “PRIDE” could not be monopolised.
Read more about Trademark Pride and Precedent: Blenders Pride, London Pride, and Imperial Blue on the RocksPatented But Still Infringing: Delhi HC Stops Hydromat Valve Sales
In the case of Aquestia Limited vs Automat Industries Private Limited & Ors., the Delhi High Court granted an interim injunction restraining the defendants from manufacturing and selling their ‘Hydromat’ valves. The court held that even a patented product can infringe an earlier patent, and found that the defendants’ valves incorporated the core features of the plaintiff’s fluid control valve patent claims.
Read more about Patented But Still Infringing: Delhi HC Stops Hydromat Valve SalesMusic Creation and Copyright Transfers
In the case of Rajesh Jhaveri v. Saregama India Limited & Anr., the Bombay High Court dismissed a bid for interim injunction restraining Saregama from exploiting songs from three albums. The Court held that assignment agreements executed in the late 1980s granted broad rights to exploit the works “by any and every means w
Read more about Music Creation and Copyright Transfers