Intellectual Property Rights

Defending Your Brand: How to Use Social Media and E-Commerce Takedown Requests for Effective Trademark Protection

As brands have begun to increasingly rely on digital platforms to reach and engage with their target audience, the risk of unauthorized use of trademarks and the sale of counterfeit products has also grown. Unauthorized pages and posts on social media can dilute a brand’s goodwill and reputation…


‘Customer of Average Intelligence Test’ in the Digital Age: An Analysis of Mountain Valley Spring India Pvt Ltd v. Baby Forest Ayurveda Pvt Ltd

A recent judgment in the case of Mountain Valley Spring India Pvt Ltd v. Baby Forest Ayurveda Pvt Ltd has reaffirmed several critical legal standards in trademark infringement and redefined the “customer of average intelligence and imperfect recollection” test considering the evolution of customer…


As Good As New! - Refurbished Goods: Guidelines and Implications

The Delhi High Court recently issued a significant judgment regarding the sale and rebranding of refurbished goods, particularly addressing disputes between Seagate Technology LLC and WD Technologies (“original manufacturers / plaintiffs”) against several Indian entities involved in the rebranding…


Email Service by the Trademark Registry: Effective or a Loophole for missed deadlines?

In an earlier blog, we discussed the significance of the Madras High Court’s decision in the case of Ramya S. Moorthy vs. The Registrar of Trade Marks, wherein the Applicant failed to receive the email service of the opposition notice from the Trademark Registry and, as a result, did not file the…


Controller of Patents has the power to condone delay in filing responses to Examination Report - Madras High Court.

In a recent ruling dated April 4, 2024, the Madras High Court addressed a significant issue regarding the procedural timelines in patent filings. The appellant, claimed to have invented a system and method for converting waste materials into reusable oil products. He filed a patent application on…


Publication of the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules,2024

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting vide notification dated March 15, 2024 has introduced the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024, (hereinafter “new Rules”) in order to amend the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 1983 (hereinafter “old Rules”). The new Rules aim to provide clarity…


Decoding the Ambiguity: Sun Pharma vs. Dabur India and the Uncertainty of Extensions of Time at the Opposition Evidence Stage under Trade Mark Rules, 2017

The evolving landscape of the rules governing extensions of time at the evidence stage of opposition proceedings, particularly examining the transition from the Trade Marks Rules of 2002 (hereinafter “2002 Rules”) to the Trade Mark Rules 2017 (hereinafter “2017 Rules”) is a topic which has sparked…


Personality Rights – Is it enough to protect us from AI?

It is not really surprising that with the rapid development of technology, its adverse effects are also increasing every day. But is this having more implications on the popular personalities of our society, or has it just been appearing so lately? Let’s have a look. Recently, many popular actors…


Amended Indian Patent Rules 2024 comes into force from March 15, 2024

The Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2023, initially circulated on August 23, 2023, for discussions and consultations with stakeholders, is now being notified and are officially in effect from March 15, 2024. The amendments tackle significant issues raised by patent filers in India, particularly…


Understanding well-known trademarks application in India

In 1977, the Whirlpool Corporation (hereinafter, “Whirlpool Corp.”) failed to renew their trademark ‘WHIRLPOOL’ in India, causing the registration to expire. While Whirlpool Corp. had been using its trademark since 1937, and secured registration of their trademark in India on 1956, however, their…