Editorial Staff

Ambush Marketing: Infringement in Disguise

Ambush marketing is the hottest-trending market strategy used by companies to advertise and promote their brands in covert ways. The concept is more prevalent and popular among sporting events where companies capitalize to advertise themselves on the events, in which they are not an official…


Think before you ink! Copyright and tattoos

The evolution of tattoos is as interesting as the art itself; it was the during the voyages for the discovery of new worlds that the Europeans came across natives having these permanent designs of themselves. These later became a rage in Europe, which later died down to be used by criminals as well…


Plant Breeder’s Rights and Intellectual Property!

Intellectual Property Rights are basically assumed to protect everything from original plays and novels to inventions and company trademarks. So the concept of Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) might seem a little strange. The main reason is that Intellectual Property rights were not originally extended…


Patenting Human Genes

Science and technology has witnessed prodigious advancements which have led to modern evolution and discoveries in the field of medicine. One of such revelations would be the discovery of Genes, the basic physical and functional unit of heredity, made up of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Scientist…


Let them eat cake? Did the Controller of Patents turn a blind eye to the poor in the recent refusal of Compulsory License?

It was before the French Revolution that when the peasants went to their queen, Marie Antoinette to spill their grievances that she said “if the people didn't have bread let them eat cake”. This analogy has been used whenever any authority has waived the grievances of the poor stating that they had…


Indian Patent Office rejects compulsory license application for AstraZeneca’s Saxagliptin

Patents are generally granted to encourage inventions and to protect the rights of the inventor. However, the Indian Patent Act serves to strike a balance between protecting the rights of the inventor and making such patented products available to people at large for the betterment of the society,…


Outer Space and Intellectual Property Rights

Intellectual Property Rights as understood legally refers to those rights given to persons for their intellectual creations of mind, by way of copyright, trademark, design or patent protection. Just like any other property rights, they confer up on the owner or the creator the rights to benefit…


Public Domain Day – The Day that Copyright Endeth

The first of January of each year is, well, the New Year’s Day for most part of the world. It is also another reason for celebration for some authors, researchers, archivists and book publishers. January 1st also happens to be Public Domain Day. Each year on this day the copyright in older works…


IP Office joins Startup India Campaign – Launches Scheme and Facilitators

Of late there has been a humongous upsurge in the number of Startups being launched in India, and alongside catching up pace, is the awareness about importance of protecting the intellectual property rights. The early stages in a new business is nothing short of a whirlwind for novice entrepreneurs…


Trademark Infringement and Jurisdiction – What it means to carry on business

Trademark law in India provides that a plaintiff can file a suit for trademark infringement in a district court within the jurisdiction where the plaintiff is actually and voluntarily residing or carrying on business or personally working for gain. It is a common phenomenon for the defence to…