Delhi High Court Directs DoT, MoE To Act Against Tucows For Failing To Block Infringing URLs In Premier League Suit

The Delhi High Court has stepped in on a plea by the Premier League, directing the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeITY) to take action within two weeks against Canadian domain name registrar Tucows Domains Inc. for failing to block URLs carrying infringing material related to its copyrighted content.Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, in an order dated April 10, 2026, said the conduct of the entity showed clear defiance of judicial...

Delhi Court Dismisses Arvind Gaur's Copyright Suit Against Former Student Shilpi Marwaha Over Street Plays

A Delhi court has dismissed a copyright suit by Asmita Theatre Group founder and drama director Arvind Gaur against his former student and actor Shilpi Marwaha and Sukhmanch Theatre, holding that no infringement of his copyrighted street plays is made out in the absence of proof of literal copying. District Judge (Commercial Court), Saket, Vrinda Kumari, in a judgment dated April 10, 2026, held that Gaur failed to establish that the defendants' performances were a “literal imitation” or a...

CBFC Certificate Only Prima Facie Evidence Of Who Produced the Film In Copyright Dispute: Madras High Court

The Madras High Court has recently held that a Central Board of Film Certification certificate is only “prima facie evidence” of who produced a film and cannot be determinative in a copyright suit when weighed against other material on record. A bench of Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy made the observation while deciding a copyright dispute between R. Kishore Kumar, proprietor of Anna Therasa International Films, and Durairajan and Rafiq of R.R. Cine Productions over the ownership of a Tamil...

Delhi High Court Temporarily Injuncts Bus Service And Manufacturing Entities From Using BharatBenz Mark

The Delhi High Court has temporarily barred several entities, including Getmohit Cab Private Limited and Shri Bheru Nath Motor Body, from using the “BHARATBENZ” mark in a trademark infringement suit filed by Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt Ltd. The order was passed after the court granted an ex parte ad interim injunction, restraining the defendants and unidentified John Doe entities from using the mark or any deceptively similar mark in relation to buses and allied services. A bench of...

Delhi High Court Temporarily Restrains Ashiana From Using 'AL KAMDHENU GOLD' In TMT Bars

The Delhi High Court has granted an interim injunction in favour of Kamdhenu Limited, restraining Ashiana Ispat Limited from using the mark “AL KAMDHENU GOLD” or any mark deceptively similar to its “KAMDHENU” and “KAMDHENU GOLD” formative marks relation to steel products, including TMT bars. In a judgment delivered on April 10, 2026, Justice Tejas Karia held that Ashiana had failed to establish any prima facie proprietary rights in the impugned mark, observing that the 2002 agreement relied...

Kerala High Court Upholds Injunction Against 'HAZZA', Finds Prima Facie Infringement Of 'LAZZA' Trademark

The Kerala High Court has upheld an interim injunction restraining the use of the mark “HAZZA” in a trademark dispute, holding that the rival mark is prima facie deceptively similar to “LAZZA” and likely to cause confusion among consumers. A single-judge bench of Justice S. Manu was hearing an appeal filed by Taste Box challenging an order of the Additional District Court, Ernakulam, which had granted interim injunction in favour of JSF Holdings Pvt Ltd. "in my view, the appellant, by adopting...

Bombay High Court Upholds Refusal Of Interim Injunction Io Laser Shaving In SETMAX Blades Trademark Dispute

The Bombay High Court has recently declined to step in against a Single Judge's refusal to grant interim relief to Laser Shaving India Pvt Ltd in its dispute over the “SETMAX” mark, noting that the company had suppressed key facts and taken inconsistent positions. In a judgment delivered on April 6, 2026, a Division Bench of Justice Bharati Dangre and Justice Manjusha Deshpande said there was no reason to disturb the Single Judge's exercise of discretion. The court pointed out that the...

Delhi High Court Cancels 'SOCIAL HOUSE' Mark For Non-Use; 'SOCIAL' Not Generic In Hospitality

Holding that the mark “SOCIAL” is not generic in the hospitality industry and that the rival mark had not been used for restaurant services, the Delhi High Court has ordered the removal of “SOCIAL HOUSE” from the register of trade marks. Impressario Entertainment and Hospitality Pvt. Ltd., which operates the “SOCIAL” chain of restaurants and cafes, approached the Delhi High Court seeking removal of the mark registered in the name of Vardhaman Choksi, arguing that it had not been used for...

Bombay High Court Rejects Bholaa Maker's Plea That Suit Concerning 'Kaithi' Remake Is Triable Only In Chennai

The Bombay High Court has recently declined to return the plaint in a copyright dispute over the Hindi remake of the Tamil film “Kaithi,” holding that the suit can proceed before courts in Mumbai. By an order pronounced on April 10, 2026, Justice Sharmila U. Deshmukh rejected a plea by Reliance Entertainment Studios Private Limited seeking to have the plaint sent back for presentation before courts in Chennai. At the heart of the dispute was where the case should be heard. Reliance pointed to...

Delhi High Court To Pass Order Protecting Crocs' Designs, Trademarks and Patent Over Jibbitz Charms

The Delhi High Court on Monday indicated that it will pass ad-interim relief orders in an infringement suit filed by Crocs Inc. against Summersalt Lifestyle Private Limited. Crocs Inc. alleged that the defendant has copied its three registered designs and two trademarks and infringed one patent, while also engaging in passing off. During the hearing before Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, Crocs submitted that the defendant has replicated a range of its footwear products and placed on record...

LiveLawBiz IPR Weekly Digest: April 5 - April 11, 2026

HIGH COURTSDelhi High CourtDelhi High Court Dismisses NEC's Patent Appeal, Holds Video Coding Invention Obvious In Light Of Prior ArtCase Title: NEC Corporation v. Assistant Controller of Patents and Designs Case Number: C.A.(COMM.IPD-PAT) 486/2022 Citation: 2026 LLBiz HC (DEL) 341The Delhi High Court has dismissed an appeal filed by NEC Corporation challenging the rejection of its patent application relating to video coding and decoding technologies, holding that the claimed invention lacks an...

Delhi High Court Temporarily Bars 'Babu Ji DUKK' Mark, Finds It Similar To Dux Naturals' 'DUX DARLING'

The Delhi High Court has temporarily restrained Babu G Store and Co. from using the mark “Babu ji DUKK Darling” or any deceptively similar trademark, label, packaging, or trade dress for cosmetic products in a suit filed by Dux Naturals. Justice Tushar Rao Gedela noted that the defendants' mark and overall packaging closely mirrored Dux Naturals' registered “DUX DARLING” brand. The way the logo was positioned at the centre, along with the styling and design, was such that an average buyer...