Supreme Court Stays Patna HC Order Restraining Local Company From Using “JOHNSON” Trademark, Issues Notice

The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the Patna High Court's April 24, 2026 order granting a temporary injunction restraining Johnson Paints Pvt. Ltd. from manufacturing, selling, or advertising paint and cement paint products under the “JOHNSON” mark or any deceptively similar variant in an ongoing trademark dispute with Johnson Paints Co. A bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Atul S. Chandurkar, while issuing notice, directed Johnson Paints Pvt Ltd to furnish an undertaking that it would...

Supreme Court Refuses To Interfere With Bombay HC Order Protecting 'GERMINATOR' Trade Dress

The Supreme Court recently (May 4) dismissed a Special Leave Petition filed by Anannya Agro Products challenging a Bombay High Court order granting interim injunction in favour of Dr. Bawaskar Technology (Agro) Pvt. Ltd. in a trademark and trade dress dispute concerning the mark “GERMINATOR”. A bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice Vijay Bishnoi found no error in the High Court's March 16 order, stating: “We find no error, not to speak of any error of law said to have been committed by...

Supreme Court of India Upholds HC Order Allowing Grasim Additional Evidence In BIRLA Trademark Row

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere with the Bombay High Court's order permitting Grasim Industries to place additional documents on record in its trademark dispute with Saboo Tor Pvt Ltd over the use of the “BIRLA” mark. A bench of Justices K.V. Viswanathan and S.V.N. Bhatti held that the high court, in its April 6, 2026 order, had rightly exercised its discretion under Order XLI Rule 27 of the Code of Civil Procedure, which permits additional evidence at the appellate stage in...

Supreme Court Issues Notice On Plea Against Delhi HC Ruling That Patent Revocation Plea Survives Expiry

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice on a plea challenging a Delhi High Court ruling that a patent revocation petition remains maintainable and survives even after expiry of the patent and is not barred merely because an invalidity defence is raised in a parallel infringement suit. A Bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe issued notice on the special leave petition filed by by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH and listed the matter for final disposal on May 25, 2026 The case...

Supreme Court Quashes Criminal Proceedings Against Filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh In 'Kahani 2' Copyright Case

The Supreme Court on Friday quashed criminal proceedings against filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh in a copyright infringement case relating to the film “Kahani 2," setting aside the summoning order issued against him by the CJM Hazaribagh and the subsequent refusal of the Jharkhand High Court to quash the case.A bench of Justices Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Alok Aradhe, while allowing Ghosh's petition, said:“In the result, the summoning order dated 07.06.2018 passed by the CJM and order dated...

Supreme Court Directs Status Quo In Zenlab-Latros Pharmaceuticals Trademark Dispute Over “ZENOVIT”

The Supreme Court recently directed the parties to maintain the status quo in a trademark dispute between Zenlab India and Latros Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd., while asking the trial court to expeditiously decide the pending suits. A bench of Justices Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Alok Aradhe passed the order while allowing an appeal filed by Zenlab challenging a judgment of the Bombay High Court dated February 16, 2022, which had granted an injunction in favour of Latros. “In view of above,...

Supreme Court Reserves Verdict In Filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh's Plea To Quash Copyright Case Over Film Kahaani 2

The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its judgment in a plea filed by filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh seeking the quashing of criminal proceedings alleging copyright infringement in connection with the film Kahaani 2, which was declined by the Jharkhand High Court. A bench of Justices Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Alok Aradhe heard the matter and reserved the verdict. Earlier, on July 2, 2025, the court issued notice and granted interim relief by dispensing with Ghosh's personal appearance before...

Supreme Court Stays Madras HC Order Reviving Sreedevi Video-Saregama Dispute Over Tamil Telugu Film Music

The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed a Madras High Court order that had revived an injunction claim in a copyright dispute between SaReGaMa India Ltd and Sreedevi Video Corporation over the audio rights of iconic Tamil and Telegu films such as Sagara Sangamam, Salangai Oli and Shankara Bharanam. The High Court had held that although Sreedevi's plea seeking declaration of copyright was barred by limitation, its claim for permanent injunction could still be examined independently and remanded the...

Supreme Court Restores Breach-Of-Injunction Proceedings In 'HERO' Trademark Dispute Between Hero Cycles and Hero Ecotech

The Supreme Court recently revived proceedings for alleged breach of an injunction in the long-running “HERO” trademark dispute between Hero Cycles Limited and Hero Ecotech Limited. A bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan set aside a September 3, 2025 judgment of the Patna High Court, which had quashed a 2019 trial court order directing initiation of contempt proceedings against Hero Ecotech and others for alleged breach of an injunction. The High Court had held that the trial...

Supreme Court To Examine If Civil Judge (Senior Division) As Commercial Court Can Hear Trademark Suits

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that it will examine whether a Commercial Court presided over by a Civil Judge (Senior Division) can entertain trademark infringement and passing-off suits in view of Section 134 of the Trade Marks Act. The court stayed further proceedings in a trademark infringement and passing-off suit pending before the Commercial Court at Jamshedpur. The issue arises from Section 134 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999, which governs the forum for filing trademark infringement...

Bata v. Crocs : Supreme Court Dismisses Pleas Of Footwear Makers Against Maintainability Of Crocs' Passing Off Suits Over Design Infringement

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the petition filed by Bata India Ltd and five other footwear manufacturers challenging the Delhi High Court's judgment which held that the suits filed by Crocs Inc.USA alleging passing off over the infringement of the latter's footwear designs registered under the Designs Act were maintainable.A bench comprising Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Alok Aradhe refused to interfere with the Delhi High Court Division Bench's ruling of July 1 that a passing off...

Supreme Court Transfers Eureka Forbes' Patent Infringement Suit Against Atomberg's “Intellon” Water Purifier To Bombay High Court

The Supreme Court has transferred a patent infringement suit filed by Eureka Forbes Limited before the Delhi High Court to the Bombay High Court, where a related suit by Atomberg Technologies Private Limited for “groundless threat of infringement” is already pending.A bench of Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Justice Atul S Chandurkar allowed Atomberg's transfer petition and dismissing Eureka Forbes' counter-transfer petition.“In the interest of saving precious judicial time and to avoid...