Search Indian IP Case Law
Judgments of the Supreme Court and the High Courts on patents, trade marks, copyright, designs and geographical indications — organised by Act and section, each with a link to the judgment on the court’s website.
Recently added judgments
Case notes prepared by the Ragulika IP team, each linked to the judgment on the court’s website.
Carlsberg Breweries A/S v. Som Distilleries and Breweries Ltd.
A single suit combining a cause of action for infringement of a registered design with a cause of action for passing off is maintainable under Order II Rule 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 where both claims flow from the sa…
Composite SuitCopyright Design OverlapDesign InfringementPassing OffTrade MarksChristian Louboutin SAS v. Nakul Bajaj & Ors.
An e-commerce platform is not automatically entitled to the safe harbour under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 merely because it calls itself an intermediary; the exemption applies only where the platform's role…
CounterfeitingE-commerceIntermediary LiabilityOnline InfringementTrade MarksColumbia Pictures Industries, Inc v. Registrar of Trade Marks & Anr.
Section 11(2) does not require a mark to have been formally declared well-known before its proprietor can invoke that status to oppose a similar or identical mark on dissimilar goods; it is enough that the mark is, in substance, e…
Bad Faith AdoptionCross-class ProtectionOppositionRemandPatentsCommunication Components Antenna Inc. v. Ace Technologies Corp. & Ors.
In assessing infringement at the interim stage, patent claims are to be given a purposive construction covering the substance of the claimed technical solution, and a defendant's unexplained refusal to disclose technical data pecu…
Adverse InferenceClaim ConstructionInterim InjunctionPatent InfringementTrade MarksCorn Products Refining Co. v. Shangrila Food Products Ltd.
In opposition proceedings, the reputation of a trade mark for assessing likelihood of confusion attaches to the mark itself and not merely to the reputation of the proprietor; deceptive similarity may be found even between goods t…
Deceptive SimilarityGoods Of Same DescriptionOppositionReputation Of MarkDesignsCrocs Inc USA v. M/s Bata India Ltd and Ors.
In commercial litigation, costs ordinarily follow the outcome of the case, and the successful party is awarded actual and reasonable litigation expenses. Parties pursuing commercial disputes must bear the financial consequences of…
Actual CostsCancellation of DesignDesign InfringementIndustrial DesignCopyrightCryogas Equipment Private Limited & Anr. v. Inox India Limited & Ors.
Whether an artistic work is a design capable of registration under Section 2(d) of the Designs Act, 2000, so as to lose copyright protection under Section 15(2) of the Copyright Act, 1957 upon industrial reproduction beyond fifty …
Artistic WorkCopyright Design OverlapFunctionalityIndustrial ReproductionPatentsCrystal Crop Protection Limited v. Safex Chemicals India Limited & Ors.
Where a complete specification and the patentee's own conduct during prosecution treat a claimed element as necessary to achieve the invention's stated technical effect, that element cannot later be characterised as non-essential …
Claim ConstructionDoctrine Of EquivalentsInterim InjunctionPatent InfringementOtherD.M. Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. v. Baby Gift House & Ors.
Every individual, and particularly a celebrity, possesses an enforceable right of publicity in the commercial value of his persona, including name, likeness, voice, style and mannerisms, which can be licensed to a corporate entity…
Character MerchandisingFalse EndorsementPassing OffPersonality RightsTrade MarksDaimler Benz Aktiegesellschaft & Anr. v. Hybo Hindustan
A trade mark that has attained an extraordinary worldwide reputation is entitled to protection against use on entirely unrelated goods, since such unauthorised use dilutes and demeans the distinctiveness of the mark; delay or hone…
Delay And AcquiescenceDilutionPassing OffTrademark InfringementBrowse by Act and section
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