IPR
Bombay High Court Directs Trader To Deposit ₹1.32 Crore For Breaching NOVA Trademark Injunction
The Bombay High Court on 1 September directed a trader who had appealed against an Rs. 82.42 lakh costs order for violating a trademark injunction to deposit an additional Rs. 50 lakh, taking the total amount to Rs. 1.32 crore. A Division Bench of Justices A. S. Gadkari and Kamal Khata passed the direction after noting that the appellant had not complied with the directions in the Single Bench's order dated 13 July 2026. The judges held: “Appellant is directed to deposit the entire cost...
Copyright Registration Not Mandatory To Initiate Criminal Proceedings For Infringement: Rajasthan High Court
The Rajasthan High Court has held that copyright registration is not mandatory for instituting criminal proceedings alleging copyright infringement. A party can claim rights over a title without registration, subject to establishing those rights through evidence.Justice Ashok Kumar Jain, in an order dated August 17, 2026, made the observation while refusing to quash a 2012 case concerning alleged infringement of copyright and trademark rights over Dandi Salt and Dandi Namak.The Court observed,...
Asian Paints Trademark Suit: Bombay High Court Orders Forcible Possession Of Entire Paint Factory In Ghaziabad
The Bombay High Court has directed its Court Receiver to take forcible physical possession of an entire paint manufacturing premises in Ghaziabad. The direction came after an Additional Special Receiver was allegedly obstructed while executing an earlier injunction order.Justice Madhav J. Jamdar passed the direction on August 31 in a commercial intellectual property dispute involving Asian Paints Limited and Deepak Kumar Panwar, who operates Akshay Paints Industries in Ghaziabad.The court...
Madras High Court Refuses To Lift Injunction Against Chennai Trader Over Use Of GLOBE Mark For Padlocks
The Madras High Court has refused to vacate an injunction restraining Chennai trader Vikas Mandoth from using a “GLOBE” mark on padlocks and other hardware goods. The court prima facie concluded that Shanghai Huanqiu Lock Making Company Ltd. was the prior user of the mark and had established reputation and goodwill in the market, while Mandoth's mark/device was phonetically and visually similar.Justice K. Kumaresh Babu also noted that Mandoth's trademark application, filed in 2023, stated that...
Bombay High Court Restrains Sale Of Counterfeit 'CLEAR' Packaged Drinking Water
The Bombay High Court has restrained a Karnataka-based business from using the “CLEAR/CLEAR AQUA IND” mark after finding the impugned products to be counterfeit. The court had earlier observed that “AQUA IND” was shown in negligible font while prominence was given to “CLEAR”, and that the rival products had identical bottle shapes, label marks, colour schemes and placement of features.Justice Madhav J. Jamdar allowed Energy Beverages Pvt. Ltd.'s interim application in terms of prayers (a) to (e)...
Nehle Pe Dehla Rights Row: Bombay High Court Awards ₹1.92 Crore To Ultra Distributors
The Bombay High Court has declared Ultra Distributors Pvt. Ltd. the sole and exclusive holder of the video, cable television and video-on-demand rights to the 1976 Bollywood film Nehle Pe Dehla, starring Sunil Dutt, Vinod Khanna and Saira Banu. Justice Arif S. Doctor held that the March 31, 2005 agreement under which Dhariwal Films assigned these rights to Ultra was valid and binding.The court also held that Dhariwal Films failed to provide Ultra with Digibeta Master tapes of commercially...
Sale Of Counterfeit Apple Accessories Cannot Be Prosecuted As Copyright Offence: Gujarat High Court Quashes FIR
The Gujarat High Court on Monday quashed a copyright infringement FIR against a shopkeeper accused of selling counterfeit Apple accessories, ruling that the allegations essentially concerned trademark misuse rather than copyright infringement.Justice P.M. Raval observed that the FIR and seizure memo did not identify any specific literary or artistic work allegedly copied from Apple. “The dispute essentially pertains to the alleged falsification of a registered trademark on commercial...
Delhi High Court Blocks Websites Offering Fake MG Motor Dealerships, Orders ₹14.55 Lakh Lien
The Delhi High Court has recently blocked three websites allegedly being used to impersonate MG Motor and offer fake car dealerships to the public. Justice Jyoti Singh restrained those operating the websites from using MG's trademarks and branding or from claiming to represent the company or its agents.The court also directed the concerned domain registrars to suspend the three websites within 36 hours of receiving the order. Indian Overseas Bank was directed to mark a lien on the bank account...
Delhi High Court Reserves Verdict On HUL's Interim Plea Over Beco Ads Claiming Surf Excel, Vim Cause Skin Irritation
The Delhi High Court has reserved judgment on Hindustan Unilever Limited's plea for an interim injunction against Kwick Living (I) Private Limited, which runs the cleaning products brand Beco.The court heard arguments from both sides in the disparagement dispute over Beco's advertisements claiming Surf Excel and Vim cause skin irritation and allergies. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani recorded that judgment was reserved on the matter for interim measures.HUL moved the Court against Beco, alleging...
LiveLawBiz IPR Weekly Digest: August 31 - September 06, 2026
SUPREME COURTSupreme Court Stays Swiss Company's Patent Suit Against Techfab Before Himachal Pradesh High CourtCase Title: TECHFAB INDIA INDUSTRIES LIMITED vs GEOBRUGG AGCase Number: SLP(C) 29151/2026The Supreme Court stayed further proceedings before the Himachal Pradesh High Court in a patent infringement suit filed by Swiss company Geobrugg AG against Techfab. The dispute concerns the manufacture and sale of high-tensile wire mesh products sold under the "TECCO" brand. A Bench of Justices...
Delhi High Court Revives Patent Bid For Improved Process To Make Drug Used To Reverse Muscle Relaxation
The Delhi High Court has set aside the Patent Office's decision refusing a patent application for an improved process to prepare sugammadex, a drug used to reverse the effects of certain muscle relaxants administered during surgery. The court found that the applicant was denied a mandatory opportunity of hearing before the refusal.Justice Jyoti Singh observed that hearings held during the pre-grant opposition proceedings could not replace the separate hearing required before the application was...
Bengaluru Court Orders Instagram To Restore Account Suspended Over IPL-Related Posts
A Bengaluru civil court has directed the restoration of an Instagram account suspended over posts alleged to have infringed trademark rights relating to the IPL. It held that the continued suspension was wholly disproportionate to the nature of the alleged violation.“Though the expressions used by the plaintiff may not have been appropriate, the intention behind the postings has also to be taken into consideration. Merely on the basis of the words employed, it cannot be concluded that the...