Centre Imposes 12% Temporary Tariff On Certain Steel Imports, Duty Valid For 200 Days

The Government has imposed a temporary 12% safeguard duty on the import of certain non-alloy and alloy steel flat products. The safeguard duty covers products such as cold-rolled coils sheets; metallic coated steel coils and sheets; hot-rolled coils and sheets; hot rolled plate mill plates; and colour-coated coils and sheets, whether or not profiled. The duty will not be imposed on the product categories when imported into India at or above the specified import price on cost insurance...

BBMP Introduces New Garbage Tax, Bengaluru Residents To Pay 'Solid Waste Management User Fee' From April 1st

The Bengaluru civic body, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has introduced 'garbage tax' under which the residents of Bengaluru have to pay a “solid waste management user” fee from 1st April, 2025. The initiative has been taken by the government to improve the waste collection and disposal across the city. The government aims to generate Rs. 685 crores through this initiative in the current fiscal year. The charges would be based on the building area in the city. Also,...

New Income Tax Bill Proposes To Allow IT Officers To Access Social Media, E-mail Accounts Of Assessees During Scrutiny

Recently, the new Income Tax Bill 2025 was introduced in Parliament. Although touted as a step to make Income tax law in India simpler, the Bill contains some provisions which may disturb taxpayers by infringing on their right to privacy. One such provision in the new Bill would allow the Income tax department to access the email, trading account, social media profiles and other personal data of assesses during tax investigation. However, it has been clarified that before the law is enacted, a...

New Income Tax Bill 2025: Concept Of "Tax Year" To Be Introduced Instead Of "Assessment Year", "Financial Year" To Remain Unchanged

The new Income Tax bill is set to introduce the concept of 'Tax Year'. This will replace the current concept of assessment year (or previous year) from the Income Tax Act. The "tax year" has been defined as follows:3. (1) For the purposes of this Act, “tax year” means the twelve months period of the financial year commencing on the 1st April.(2) In the case of a business or profession newly set up, or a source of income newly coming into existence in any financial year, the tax year shall...

District Bar Associations Election: Delhi High Court Exempts Taxation Bar Association Members From Court Appearance Requirement

The Delhi High Court exempted members of Taxation Bar Association from the Court appearance requirement. The Bench, consists of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justices Vibhu Bakhru and Yashwant Varma, noted that, in light of the judgment in Lalit Sharma and Ors. v. Union of India and Ors. [W.P.(C) 10363/2021], dated 19th March 2024, a majority of the advocate members of the Delhi Tax Bar Association, despite active practice, have now become ineligible to contest, vote, or participate in...

Trademark Infringement Suit Pre-Supposes Urgency For Dispensation Of S.12A Of Commercial Courts Act: Telangana High Court

In relation to commercial disputes, the Telangana High Court has observed that a plaintiff's allegations of misuse of trademark indicate the 'urgency' of court intervention and thus the requirement of pre-institution mediation provided in Section 12A of the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, can be dispensed or exempted with in such cases. The Court emphasized the time-sensitive nature of IPR/trademark infringement cases. It remarked “Unlike other forms of property, where the wrongful...

Delhi High Court Restrains Businesses From Using Amul's Trademark On Their Pharmaceutical Products, Directs Payment Of ₹5 Lakhs In Damages & Costs

The Delhi High Court has issued a permanent injunction in favour of Amul, against businesses dealing in pharmaceutical products, from using 'AMUL' trademark on their products. The Court imposed costs and damages of Rs. 5 lakh against them for infringing Amul's well-known trademark.A single judge bench of Justice Mini Pushkarna observed that an ordinary customer is likely to be confused that the defendants have some association with Amul, thus giving them an unfair advantage and damaging the...

Delhi High Court Directs E-Commerce Platforms To Block Listing Of Counterfeit EBC Books

In an interim injunction suit, the Delhi High Court has directed e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart to block the listing of counterfeited books of 'Eastern Book Company' (EBC) from their websites.EBC is one of the leading publishers of legal textbooks, commentaries and law reports authored by legal luminaries. The counterfeit/pirated books under the names 'Eastern Book Company' and 'EBC' were sold by the defendants on Amazon and Flipkart websites. The counterfeited books include...

Delhi High Court Rules In Favour Of Taj Hotels In Trademark Infringement Suit Against 'Taj Iconic'

The Delhi High Court has ruled in favour of Indian Hotels Company, which owns the Taj hotels chain, in a trademark infringement suit filed by it against a man running a business under the name “Taj Iconic Membership.”Justice Mini Pushkarna awarded Rs. 10 lakh damages and Rs. 5 lakh costs in favour of the Taj group and decreed the suit against the individual, Manoj. The suit claimed that in 2022, Manoj's representative contacted Taj's representative, asking them whether they were interested...

Delhi High Court Restrains T-Series From Using 'Aashiqui' Title In Trademark Infringement Suit By Mukesh Bhatt's Firm

The Delhi High Court has restrained film production company T-Series from using titles “Tu Hi Aashiqui”, “Tu Hi Aashiqui Hai” and “Aashiqui” in respect of an upcoming film. Justice Sanjeev Narula granted an interim injunction in favour of Vishesh Films, a film company owned by Mukesh Bhatt, in a trademark infringement suit filed against Super Cassettes Industries Private Limited, which does business as T-Series. The court said that Vishesh Films' mark “Aashiqui” is registered under the Trade...

[Mount's 6000 v. Vasco 60000] MP High Court Allows Brewery's Plea Challenging Registration Of "Similar" Label, Says It May Confuse Public

The Madhya Pradesh High Court, at its Indore bench, recently allowed a plea moved by a brewery–Mount Everest Breweries Limited, which had challenged the registration of a similar beer label–“VASCO 60000 EXTRA STRONG BEER” by a competing brewery alleging that it would lead to a potential trademark infringement.The high court however held that the there was similarity and resemblance which might confuse the public between the two products.Taking note of the features of the two products, the...

Trademark Infringement: Bombay High Court Grants Temporary Relief To US Fast-Food Giant "Burger King", Restrains Pune-Based Outlet

In a temporary respite for the United States food giant 'Burger King' the Bombay High Court on Monday granted an ad-interim order, restraining a Pune-based food joint from using the trademark 'Burger King' till further hearing in the matter.A division bench of Justices Atul Chandurkar and Rajesh Patil said it will hear the appeal filed by Burger King Corporation, the US food company through its counsel Hiren Kamod, on September 6."Till then the ad-interim relief to continue against the...