Malabar Gold Cannot Monopolise 'Malabar'; Kerala High Court Sets Aside Passing Off Finding Against Delhi Jeweller

The Kerala High Court has partly allowed an appeal filed by the proprietor of Delhi-based Malabar Fashion Jewellery, setting aside a trial court's finding that the business had passed off its goods as those of Malabar Gold. It, however, retained the injunction restraining the jeweller from using a deceptively similar trademark and clarified that no exclusive rights can be claimed over the geographical expression "Malabar" by itself. Justice Mohammed Nias C.P. held that Malabar Gold's trademark...

California Northern District Court Rejects Uber's Eligibility Challenge To LBT GPS Tracking Patents

The United States District Court for the Northern District of California on 26 June 2026 held that Uber Technologies Inc.'s motion for judgment on the pleadings against LBT IP II LLC could not be sustained, finding that the asserted GPS tracking and location-display patents were not directed to abstract ideas and were patent-eligible. Judge Rita F. Lin rejected Uber's plea to invalidate LBT's patents at the pleadings stage. She held that the claim "involves more than merely gathering data,...

CGPDTM Notifies Patent & Trade Marks Agent Exams 2027, Registration To Open July 1

On 23 June 2026, the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks issued a public notice announcing the schedule and key details for the Patent Agent Examination 2027 and the Trade Marks Agent Examination 2027. The notice states that the Trade Marks Agent Examination is likely to take place on 9 January 2027 and the Patent Agent Examination is likely to take place on 10 January 2027. The authority will conduct both examinations...

Madras High Court Grants Pre-Release Anti-Piracy Injunctions For 'Welcome to the Jungle,' 'Balaramana Dinagalu'

The Madras High Court has granted ad-interim injunctions restraining internet service providers and cable TV operators from infringing the copyright of two films ahead of their theatrical release. The films are the Kannada movie "Balaramana Dinagalu," starring Vinod Prabhakar and Priya Anand, and the Hindi comedy "Welcome to the Jungle," headlined by Akshay Kumar. Justice K. Kumaresh Babu passed separate common orders in each case on June 25, 2026, a day before both films were scheduled to...

LiveLawBiz IPR Weekly Digest: June 22 - June 28, 2026

HIGH COURTSDelhi High CourtDelhi High Court Bars Sree Tirumalaa Traders From Using “Lakshmi Srinivasa” Mark & Trade Dress Case Title: Sri Lakshmi Srinivasa Agro Foods & Anr. v. Sree Tirumalaa TradersCase Number: CS(COMM) 667/2026Citation: 2026 LLBiz HC (DEL) 642On June 22, the Delhi High Court granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction restraining Sree Tirumalaa Traders from using the mark “LAKSHMI SRINIVASA” and a deceptively similar trade dress for rice products. Justice Tejas...

Bombay High Court Sets Aside Revocation Of SAATHI's Patent For Natural Fibre Absorbent Article

The Bombay High Court has recently set aside an order revoking a patent granted to SAATHI Inc. for an absorbent article made from natural fibres. The court held that the Controller of Patents revoked the patent without giving reasons, departed from the Opposition Board's recommendation without explaining why, and failed to decide whether the opponent was entitled to maintain the post-grant opposition. Justice Arif S. Doctor delivered the judgment on June 15, 2026. The challenge arose from a...

Calcutta High Court Upholds Rejection of German Research Organisation's Patent For Biomass Growth Method

The Calcutta High Court has dismissed an appeal filed by German research organisation Fraunhofer Gesellschaft against the rejection of its patent application for a method of stimulating biomass growth in a bioreactor. It held that the invention's specification was excessively broad and failed to sufficiently disclose how the invention could be performed. The court also found that the application did not disclose the source and geographical origin of the biological material used in the...

Madras High Court Dismisses Intellectual Property Suit Against Tamil Film 'Saamaniyan' After Release

The Madras High Court has dismissed a suit seeking to restrain the release and promotion of the Tamil film "Saamaniyan," holding that the reliefs sought had become infructuous after the film was released in 2024.Justice K. Kumaresh Babu passed the judgment on June 22, 2026, in a suit filed by M. Viyan Aarman, proprietor of Art Addict, who had claimed exclusive trademark and copyright rights over the title "SAAMANIYAN."The proprietor had filed the suit against Etecetra Entertainment and others,...

Delhi High Court Restores Interim Relief For Kumar Foods, Finds “10X SHAKTI” Similar To SHAKTI BHOG

The Delhi High Court on 19 June restored interim protection in favour of Kumar Foods Industries in its dispute against GRM Foodkraft Private Limited and held that the latter's use of the mark “10X SHAKTI” for wheat flour is prima facie deceptively similar to the former's registered mark “SHAKTI BHOG”. A Vacation Bench of Justices Tejas Karia and Madhu Jain allowed Kumar Foods's appeal against the order of the District Judge, Rohini dated 6 June 2026, which had vacated an ex-parte injunction...

Delhi High Court Bars Sree Tirumalaa Traders From Using “Lakshmi Srinivasa” Mark & Trade Dress

On 22 June, the Delhi High Court granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction in favour of Sri Lakshmi Srinivasa Agro Foods and SLS Agro Ventures against Sree Tirumalaa Traders, restraining the use of the mark “LAKSHMI SRINIVASA” and a deceptively similar trade dress in relation to rice products. Justice Tejas Karia held that a prima facie case of trademark infringement and passing off was made out and allowed the plaintiffs' application for urgent interim protection, while restraining the...

Delhi High Court Cancels 'SHAKTI' Trademark On 'SAKTHI' Mark Owner's Plea

The Delhi High Court has directed the Registrar of Trade Marks to remove the trademark "SHAKTI" from the Register of Trade Marks after holding that it was registered without any bona fide intention to use the mark. The court found that neither the registered proprietor nor the assignee had produced any documentary or other evidence showing independent use of the standalone "SHAKTI" mark. Justice Tushar Rao Gedela passed the judgment on June 24 while allowing a rectification petition filed by...

Trademark, Not Copyright Dispute: Bombay High Court Quashes FIR Over Fake Zara and Calvin Klein Apparel

The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against two traders accused of selling counterfeit Zara and Calvin Klein clothing. The court held that the allegations disclosed a trademark-related offence and not offences under the Copyright Act for which the FIR had been registered. Justice M.W. Chandwani observed that the prosecution's own case was that the two men were selling garments bearing the labels of the brands. It was not the prosecution's case that they...