Reverse Passing Off Foreign To Indian Trademark Jurisprudence, Not Enforceable: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court on Monday ruled that the tort of “reverse passing off” is foreign to Indian trademark jurisprudence and does not create an enforceable cause of action under the Trade Marks Act. The court dismissed appeals filed by Western Digital and Seagate against refurbishers who remove original brand labels from used hard disk drives and sell them under new brands. A Division Bench of Justice C. Hari Shankar and Justice Om Prakash Shukla held that Indian trademark jurisprudence...

Delhi High Court Upholds Order Refusing Interim Relief To Novo Nordisk In Semaglutide Patent Dispute With Dr Reddy's

The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed Danish Pharma Company Novo Nordisk's appeal seeking an interim injunction against Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd in a patent infringement dispute over the anti-diabetic drug Semaglutide. The drug is the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk's blockbuster diabetes medicine Ozempic, which has also gained global attention for its weight loss effects. A Division Bench of Justice C. Hari Shankar and Justice Om Prakash Shukla upheld a Single Judge's order refusing...

Courts Cannot Re-Examine Merits Of Foreign Arbitral Awards At Enforcement Stage: Bombay High Court Reiterates

The Bombay High Court has reiterated that courts considering enforcement of foreign arbitral awards under Section 48 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 cannot re-examine the merits of the award or undertake a fresh evaluation of the evidence. A single-judge bench of Justice Somasekhar Sundaresan observed that the jurisdiction of an enforcement court under Section 48 is limited and does not permit a review of the arbitral tribunal's findings. “The scope of jurisdiction of the Section...

Delhi High Court Sets Aside Refusal Of Jindal Steel's 'JSP' Trademark, Orders Fresh Consideration

The Delhi High Court has partially allowed an appeal filed by Jindal Steel Limited against an order of the Registrar of Trade Marks refusing registration of the trademark “JSP,” holding that the decision was a “non-speaking order” passed without considering the arguments and material placed on record. In a judgment delivered on February 17, 2026, Justice Jyoti Singh observed that the Registrar had failed to consider several issues raised by the company, including its reliance on Sections 34 and...

Delhi High Court Bars Ex-Franchisee From Using 'Moti Mahal' Trademark After Franchise Termination

The Delhi High Court has granted an ex-parte ad interim injunction in favour of Moti Mahal Legendary Hospitality, restraining Sant Foods, a former franchisee, from using the “MOTI MAHAL” trademark after the termination of their commercial agreement. The Court observed that once a franchise agreement is terminated, the former franchisee retains no legal right to operate a restaurant using the trademarked name.On February 25, 2026, Justice Jyoti Singh observed that the company had established...

Delhi High Court Refuses To Condone 1,000-Day Delay In Commercial Appeal, Cites Lack Of Diligence By Appellant

The Delhi High Court has recently refused to condone a 1,000-day delay in filing a commercial appeal, stressing that the Commercial Courts Act requires strict adherence to timelines to ensure the speedy disposal of disputes.The Division bench of Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Ajay Digpaul observed that,“This is especially so due to the object of the Commercial Courts Act in ensuring strict adherence of timelines by parties to facilitate the speedy disposal of suits, coupled with the...

Delhi High Court Slams Cryptic Patent Refusal, Remands Fertin Pharma Application For Re-Consideration

The Delhi High Court on 18 February set aside an order by the Assistant Controller of Patents and Designs that had rejected a patent application from Fertin Pharma A/S, observing that the regulator failed to provide the requisite reasoning expected of a quasi-judicial authority. Justice Tushar Rao Gedela observed that the original refusal was “cryptic,” whereas reasoning is “the bedrock of all orders, including those passed by quasi-judicial authorities.” The Court was hearing an appeal under...

Delhi High Court Says Patent Amendments Permissible At Appellate Stage, Sets Aside Daikin Refusal

The Delhi High Court on 26 February reiterated that patent amendments are permissible even at the appellate stage, so long as they fall within the statutory framework of the Patents Act. Justice Jyoti Singh partially allowed the appeal filed by Daikin Industries Ltd, setting aside the Patent Office order that had earlier denied the company a patent for its 'Shell-And-Plate Heat Exchanger.' Observing that the specific modifications proposed by the company were permissible, as they neither...

Arbitral Tribunal's Interim Relief Meant To Preserve Arbitration, Not Secure Speculative Claims: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has observed that interim relief under Section 17 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act is meant to preserve the fruits of arbitration and cannot be used to secure a claimant against speculative future contingencies. Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar in a judgment delivered on February 26, observed: “Section 17 of the A&C Act is designed to preserve the fruits of arbitration where a real and imminent risk is established; it is not intended to secure a claimant...

Delhi High Court Refers Suit Alleging Copyright Infringement To Arbitration As Dispute Stems From Agreement

The Delhi High Court has recently referred to arbitration a commercial suit alleging copyright infringement and diversion of business after holding that the dispute, in the facts of the case, arose from the parties' contractual collaboration. Justice Tejas Karia passed the order while allowing an application filed under Section 8 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act seeking reference of the dispute to arbitration. The suit had been filed by Terix Computer Service India Pvt. Ltd., which...

General Contempt Jurisdiction Cannot Be Invoked Directly For Breach Of Arbitral Interim Orders: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court on 5 February held that parties cannot bypass the arbitral process by approaching the High Court directly for alleged violation of an interim order passed by an arbitral tribunal. Any contempt proceedings must follow the procedural framework under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. Justice Saurabh Banerjee dismissed a contempt petition filed by Renaissance Buildcon Company Pvt Ltd and its directors, while noting that the respondents, Tarjinder Kumar Bansal and...

Delhi High Court Grants Temporary Relief To Mankind: Restrains Copy Of MANFORCE Condom Artwork And Taglines

The Delhi High Court has recently granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction in favour of Mankind Consumer Products Private Limited, restraining Anondita Medicare Limited and the other entities behind the impugned Instagram pages from using social media content that allegedly copies the original artistic works and taglines of its popular 'MANFORCE' condom brand. On February 25, 2026, Justice Tushar Rao Gedela observed that a side-by-side comparison of the Instagram posts “clearly would depict,...