Commercial Court Cannot Decide Interim Relief Once Design Cancellation Is Pleaded: Gujarat High Court

The Gujarat High Court on 16 June held that the Commercial Court lacked jurisdiction to proceed with the injunction application once the defendant raised a plea for cancellation of the registered design as a defence. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice D.N. Ray allowed the appeal filed by Satyam Fashion against Meesho Technologies Private Limited and set aside the Surat Commercial Court's order dated 12 September 2025. It observed: “In terms of Section 22(4) of...

National Biodiversity Authority Approval Has No Bearing On Patentability: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has held that approval granted by the National Biodiversity Authority under biodiversity laws for pursuing intellectual property rights does not determine whether an invention qualifies for patent protection. The court dismissed Shaafi Naturcure LLP's challenge to the rejection of its patent application for a six-herb asthma treatment. Justice Tushar Rao Gedela dismissed the firm's appeal against a 2020 order of the Assistant Controller of Patents and Designs. The order...

Delhi High Court Temporarily Restrains Use Of 'Godfather' Mark For The Glenwalk Whisky Endorsed By Sanjay Dutt

The Delhi High Court has temporarily restrained the makers of The Glenwalk whisky from using the mark "GODFATHER" for their proposed whisky product endorsed by actor Sanjay Dutt. The court held that the prominent use of the word was deceptively similar to the long-standing trademark owned by Devans Modern Breweries. Justice Tushar Rao Gedela passed the interim order. He directed Cartel Bros. Pvt. Ltd. to immediately remove advertisements, listings and social media content carrying the mark...

LiveLawBiz IPR Weekly Digest: June 15 - June 21, 2026

SUPREME COURTSupreme Court Stays Delhi High Court Order Restraining Use Of 'Medilice' Mark For Anti-Lice Hair OilCase Title: Kirit Bhadiadra v. Wings Pharmaceuticals Private LimitedCase Number: SLP (C) Diary No. 15782/2026Citation: 2026 LLBiz SC 227The Supreme Court has stayed the Delhi High Court's December 2025 judgment that upheld a trial court's finding of trademark infringement against Kirit Bhadiadra in a dispute over the mark "Medilice." A Bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Arun...

Punjab and Haryana High Court Refuses To Interfere With Facebook's Removal Of Song After Copyright Complaint

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has recently declined to intervene in Meta's removal of a song from a Facebook page. The court noted that the song had been uploaded without the copyright owner's consent. It also found that the page owner had not placed any material on record to dispute that position. Justice Jagmohan Bansal observed that the Facebook page owner had been informed that the song was removed because it was uploaded without the copyright owner's consent. The court further found...

Madras High Court Declines Interim Relief To Hospital In 'RIO' Trademark Row With Diagnostic Centre

The Madurai bench of the Madras High court has dismissed an appeal filed by Rio Children's Hospital against the refusal of an interim injunction restraining Tirunelveli-based Rio Scans and Labs from using the mark "RIO". The court held that the parties' rival claims over the trade name could be decided only after a full-fledged trial. Justice P. Vadamalai upheld a September 2024 order of the Principal District Judge, Madurai. The order had declined interim relief sought by the hospital in a...

Delhi High Court Dismisses Novamax's Cooler Design Infringement Claim, Keeps Passing Off Suit Alive

The Delhi High court on Friday dismissed Novamax Industries LLP's claim that Prem Appliances infringed its registered cooler design after finding that Novamax's own invoices and website showed the design had been publicly sold and displayed before the design application was filed. Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, however, declined to summarily reject Novamax's passing off claim, holding that the issue would require evidence at trial. "It is well nigh impossible for this Court to conclude that the...

Delhi High Court Restrains Sellers For Misusing Flipkart's 'Latching On' Feature In SHAPERMEN Trademark Dispute

The Delhi High Court has granted an interim injunction against several sellers accused of misusing Flipkart's "Latching On" feature to market products under the SHAPERMEN brand. The court observed that their conduct appeared prima facie calculated to "ride upon the goodwill associated with the Subject Marks" and was likely to cause confusion about the origin of the products. Justice Tejas Karia passed the order in a suit filed by Piyush Sapra and another party associated with the SHAPERMEN...

Delhi High Court Cancels 'D-TAN' Trademark, Holds Mark Descriptive And Non-Distinctive

The Delhi High Court has directed cancellation of the registered trademark 'D-TAN' held by Visage Beauty and Health Care Pvt Ltd, ruling that the mark is descriptive of skin tan removal products and lacks the distinctiveness required for trademark protection.Justice Tushar Rao Gedela allowed a rectification petition filed by Honasa Consumer Ltd, the company behind 'AQUALOGICA'. The Court ordered the Registrar of Trademarks to remove the mark from the register within four weeks.The dispute arose...

Supreme Court Stays Delhi High Court Order Restraining Use Of 'Medilice' Mark For Anti-Lice Hair Oil

The Supreme Court has stayed the Delhi High Court's December 2025 judgment that upheld a trial court's finding of trademark infringement against Kirit Bhadiadra in a dispute over the mark "Medilice." A Bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Arun Palli, hearing the matter on June 18, observed that the controversy "would require a deeper scrutiny." The dispute is between Wings Pharmaceuticals Private Limited, which sells an anti-lice shampoo under the mark "Medilice," and Bhadiadra,...

Bombay High Court Grants Injunction Against 'Mefial-Spas' For Infringing Blue Cross's 'Meftal-Spas' Mark

The Bombay High Court has permanently restrained Alto Healthcare Private Limited and its manufacturer from using the mark "MEFIAL-SPAS" and associated packaging. The court found that the mark was deceptively similar to Blue Cross Laboratories' registered trademarks and artistic work used for its "MEFTAL-SPAS" product. Justice Arif S. Doctor delivered the judgment on June 17. The Court also directed each defendant to pay costs of ₹5 lakh to Blue Cross Laboratories within eight weeks. If the...

Deadline For Filing Evidence In Support Of Trademark Opposition Is Directory, Not Mandatory: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court has recently held that the two-month deadline for filing an evidence affidavit in trademark opposition and rectification proceedings is directory and not mandatory, finding that the broader scheme of the Trade Marks Rules, 2017, does not support treating it as an inflexible limitation period. "One must remember that the scheme of Rules 44 to 51 of the 2017 Rules are procedural provisions to aid in adjudicating the merits of Opposition Proceedings and Rectification...