SUPREME COURT

Can State Notifications Let Civil Judges Decide Trademark Cases? Supreme Court Refers To Larger Bench

Case Title: I.S.D.S. Private Limited & Anr. v. M/s Khemka Food Products Pvt. Ltd. & Anr.

Case Number: Special Leave Petition (C) No.6793 of 2026

Citation: 2026 LLBiz SC 313

The Supreme Court referred to a larger bench the question of whether State notifications designating Civil Judges (Senior Division) as Commercial Courts can override Section 134 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999, which mandates that trademark infringement suits cannot be instituted before a court below the District Court.

Supreme Court Extends Dabur's Deadline To Exhaust 9,020 'Cool King Thanda Tel' Cartons Till November

Case Title: DABUR INDIA LIMITED VS. EMAMI LIMITED

Case Number: DIARY NO. - 50163/2026

A Bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe extended by two months (till November 2026) the deadline for Dabur India Limited to exhaust 9,020 cartons of “Cool King Thanda Tel” in its trademark and trade-dress dispute with Emami Limited, while declining to interfere with the underlying Delhi High Court injunction.

Supreme Court Declines To Interfere With HC Order Refusing ITC Interim Relief In 'DAKSHIN' Mark Dispute

Case Title: ITC LIMITED VS. ADYAR GATE HOTELS LIMITED

Case Number: DIARY NO. - 56907/2026

A Bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan dismissed ITC Limited's Special Leave Petition, refusing to interfere with a Delhi High Court interim order that declined to restrain Adyar Gate Hotels Limited from using the “DAKSHIN” mark for its standalone restaurant in Chennai.

Chai Sutta Bar Withdraws Plea In Supreme Court Against Injunction Over 'MAATEA' Mark In Dispute With Macha

Case Title: M/S CHAI SUTTA BAR TRADING PVT. LTD VS. M/S MACHA CONSUMER PRODUCTS PVT. LTD

Case Number: DIARY NO. - 50820/2026

The Supreme Court permitted Chai Sutta Bar Trading Pvt Ltd to withdraw its Special Leave Petition challenging a Delhi High Court order that upheld an interim injunction restraining it from using the 'MAATEA' mark for tea products in a trademark dispute with Macha Consumer Products.

CALCUTTA HIGH COURT

Calcutta High Court Sends ITC Trademark Suit To Mediation, Says FIR First Weakened Urgency To Claim Waiver

Case Title: ITC Limited v. SMM Tobacoo Private Limited & Ors.

Case Number: IP (COM) No.10 of 2026

Citation: 2026 LLBiz HC(CAL) 232

Justice Arindam Mukherjee refused to dispense with pre-suit mediation under Section 12A of the Commercial Courts Act for ITC's proposed trademark suit against SMM Tobacco, holding that pursuing criminal remedies first diminished the claim of urgent interim relief.

DELHI HIGH COURT

Delhi High Court Restrains Doora Express Services' Former General Manager From Using 'DURA' Mark

Case Title: Doora Express Services v. Dura Logistics India Private Limited & Anr.

Case Number: CS(COMM) 983/2026

Citation: 2026 LLBiz HC(DEL) 1020

Justice A.J. Bhambhani restrained a former General Manager and his company from using “DURA” for logistics and transportation services, holding that Doora Express Services made out a prima facie case of similarity to its registered “DOORA” trademarks.

Delhi High Court Finds 'Herbawish' Deceptively Similar To Herbalife, Temporarily Restrains Use

Case Title: Herbalife International, Inc. v. Ashish Kumar & Ors.

Case Number: CS(COMM) 997/2026

Citation: 2026 LLBiz HC (DEL) 1015

Justice Jyoti Singh granted an ad-interim injunction restraining the defendants from using “Herbawish” and “Herbawish Nutrition” alongside a similar three-leaf logo and trade dress, observing that the common prefix "Herba" enhanced consumer deception.

Delhi High Court Issues Notice To JioStar On Zee Entertainment's Contempt Plea Over Copyrighted Music

Case Title: ZEE ENTERTAINMENT ENTERPRISES LIMITED V/S JIOSTAR INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED

Case Number: CS(COMM) - 475/2026

Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani issued notice to JioStar India on a contempt plea filed by Zee Entertainment over alleged continued unauthorized use of Zee's copyrighted music library despite a May 2026 injunction.

“No Perceptible Difference”: Delhi High Court Restrains Bombay Shaving Co. From Running Revised Ad In Gillette Suit

Case Title: Gillette India Limited v. Visage Lines Personal Care Private Limited

Case Number: CS(COMM) 1007/2026

Citation: 2026 LLBiz HC (DEL) 1014

Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani restrained Bombay Shaving Company from airing a revised advertisement in a product disparagement action, observing no perceptible difference in commercial impact between the revised ad and the original version the company had previously agreed to withdraw.

Delhi High Court Restrains Restaurant From Using “Social Circle” Mark Similar To Impresario's “SOCIAL”

Case Title: Impresario Entertainment and Hospitality Pvt Ltd v. M/s Social Circle Through Its Proprietor

Case Number: CS(COMM) 985/2026

Citation: 2026 LLBiz HC(DEL) 1012

Justice Vikas Mahajan granted an interim injunction on September 21 restraining a Dehradun restaurant from operating as “Social Circle”, holding the mark deceptively similar to Impresario's well-known “SOCIAL” brand.

Delhi High Court Orders Meta, WhatsApp To Block Fake 'Purplle' Franchise Seeking ₹15 Lakhs From Public

Case Title: Manash Lifestyle Private Limited v. John Doe/Ashok Kumar & Ors.

Case Number: CS(COMM) 985/2026

Citation: 2026 LLBiz HC(DEL) 1011

Justice Jyoti Singh restrained anonymous operators from running a fraudulent franchise scheme soliciting ₹15 lakh by impersonating beauty platform Purplle, and directed Meta and WhatsApp to block the associated profiles and accounts.

'There Should Be A Separate 'META Court': Delhi HC Judge Jests As Another Instagram Copyright Case Lands In Court

Case Title: JITENDAR SINGH V/S JOHN DOE ASHOK KUMAR & ORS.

Case Number: CS(COMM) - 1052/2026

Justice A.J. Bhambhani declined to pass a blanket order protecting a content creator against future copyright strikes, holding that each strike's genuineness must be evaluated individually, while orally remarking that a dedicated "META court" may soon be needed given the surge in platform disputes.

Drishti IAS Founder Vikas Divyakirti Moves Delhi High Court Seeking Protection Of Personality Rights

Case Title: DR VIKAS DIVYAKIRTI V/S META PLATFORMS INC & ORS.

Case Number: CS(COMM) - 1015/2026

Drishti IAS founder Vikas Divyakirti filed a personality rights suit seeking protection against commercial exploitation and deepfakes; the matter was transferred to a coordinate IPD bench handling personality rights cases.

Delhi High Court Dismisses ITC Challenge To Philip Morris Heat-Not-Burn Cigarette Patent

Case Title: ITC Limited v. Philip Morris Products S.A. & Ors.

Case Number: C.A.(COMM.IPD-PAT) 24/2025

Citation: 2026 LLBiz HC (DEL) 1008

Justice Jyoti Singh dismissed ITC's challenge to a patent held by Philip Morris for heat-not-burn tobacco technology used in devices like IQOS, upholding the patent for a "heated aerosol generating article".

Delhi High Court Grants Temporary Injunction Against Unauthorised Use Of Bentley Software

Case Title: Bentley Systems Inc and Anr. v. Ahmed Ibrahim Abdelsalam Ahmed Elshorbagy and Ors.

Case Number: CS(COMM) 993/2026

Citation: 2026 LLBiz HC (DEL) 1007

Justice A.J. Bhambhani granted an ad-interim injunction restraining a structural design firm from infringing copyright in Bentley Systems' engineering software suite, including RAM Concept, iTwin, and STAAD.

Delhi High Court Clarifies 2023 Order Restraining FabIndia Trademark Infringement Covers Social Media

Case Title: FabIndia Limited v. Ashok Kumar/John Doe and Ors.

Case Number: CS(COMM) 861/2023

Citation: 2026 LLBiz HC (DEL) 1006

Justice A.J. Bhambhani clarified that a December 2023 interim order protecting FabIndia's trademarks applies explicitly to major social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and X.

Delhi High Court Issues Notice To Trade Marks Registrar Over Delay In Deciding MakeMyTrip's Well-Known Mark Plea

Case Title: MakeMyTrip India Limited v. The Registrar of Trade Marks

Case Number: W.P.(C)-IPD 41/2026 & CM 241/2026

Citation: 2026 LLBiz HC (DEL) 1003

Justice Vikas Mahajan issued notice on a petition by MakeMyTrip India Limited seeking directions to the Trade Marks Registry to decide its well-known trademark application, which had remained unaddressed for over six years.

Delhi HC Dismisses Challenge To Copyright Suit Over Rajasthan Temple Made To Look Like Guruji's Bade Mandir

Case Title: P.J. SIKAND (ALSO KNOWN AS PARAMJEET SINGH) V/S GURUJI KA ASHRAM TRUST AND ORS.

Case Number: CM(M)-IPD - 51/2026

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav dismissed a petition seeking threshold rejection of a copyright and passing-off suit filed by Guruji Ka Ashram Trust over a Rajasthan structure allegedly replicating its Delhi Bade Mandir.

Actor Rakesh Bedi Moves Delhi High Court Seeking Protection Of Personality Rights

Case Title: RAKESH BEDI V/S JOHN DOE/ ASHOK KUMAR & ORS.

Case Number: CS(COMM) - 1049/2026

Actor Rakesh Bedi approached the Delhi High Court seeking protection against unauthorized commercial exploitation of his name, likeness, and persona.

Delhi High Court Sets Aside Copyright Registration For 'Radhey Radhey Barsane Wali Radhey'

Case Title: Vipul Music Company Proprietorship Firm of Ms. Santosh Goswami v. Registrar of Copyright & Anr.

Case Number: C.O.(COMM.IPD-CR) 21/2025 & I.A. 9511/2025

Citation: 2026 LLBiz HC (DEL) 997

Justice Jyoti Singh set aside a 2020 copyright registration for the sound recording “Radhey Radhey Barsane Wali Radhey”, remanding the matter to the Copyright Office because the registration had been granted without prior notice to rival claimant Vipul Music Company.

Delhi High Court Restrains Gold Flake Counterfeiters After Police Seize 11.28 Lakh Cigarettes

Case Title: ITC Limited v. Ravi Kishor & Anr.

Case Number: CS(COMM) 1019/2026

Citation: 2026 LLBiz HC (DEL) 998

Justice Jyoti Singh granted ITC Limited an ad-interim injunction against an illegal counterfeiting unit manufacturing fake "Gold Flake" cigarettes inside a premise disguised as a cattle shed following police seizures worth ₹1.44 crore.

Delhi High Court Bars Anonymous Parties From Using JCB Branding Over Alleged False Arrest Claims

Case Title: JCB India Limited & Ors. vs John Doe(s) & Ors.

Case Number: CS(COMM) 999/2026

Citation: 2026 LLBiz HC(DEL) 992

Justice Jyoti Singh restrained parties associated with a former dealer from using JCB branding and directed Google and Meta to take down videos falsely claiming JCB officials had been arrested.

MADRAS HIGH COURT

Madras High Court Dismisses 'Dr. WASH' Infringement Suit Over 'Dr. Bright' Soap, Says Packaging Distinct

Case Title: Ashique Exports Pvt. Ltd. v. Koyenco Soaps and Detergents Pvt. Ltd. & Anr.

Case Number: CS No. 687 of 2017 and (T)OP(TM) No. 340 of 2023

Citation: 2026 LLBiz HC(MAD) 272

Justice K. Kumaresh Babu dismissed an infringement suit filed by Ashique Exports against Koyenco Soaps over its "Dr. Bright" washing soap, holding that its overall packaging and trade dress were not deceptively similar to "Dr. WASH".

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