Insights
Practical perspectives on protecting, managing and enforcing intellectual property across India and the subcontinent.
Raja Pannir Selvam · 2 January 2026
Advertised Without a Translation: A Registration Cancelled Years Later
Marks in Tamil and Telugu were advertised without the transliteration and translation the Rules require. The Madras High Court held that such an advertisement is no advertisement in the eye of law, and cancelled the registrations.
Keerthana K · 19 December 2025
3D Shape Marks Can Be 'Well-Known' in India: The Birkin Ruling
The Delhi High Court recognised the Birkin bag's 3D silhouette as a well-known trademark — confirming that a product shape can win the strongest, cross-class protection in India. What qualifies a shape.
Keerthana K · 4 December 2025
India Accepts Its First Smell Mark: Can Your Brand Register One?
India's Trade Marks Registry has accepted its first smell mark — a rose-scented tyre by Sumitomo — cracking the 'graphical representation' barrier with a 7-dimensional vector. What it takes to register a scent, and whether your brand's fragrance could qualify.
4 December 2025
Who Owns a Voice? Identity Rights in the Age of AI
A few minutes of recorded audio is enough to clone a voice convincingly. Indian courts have responded with a wave of personality rights orders — and the harder question is where protecting identity ends and restricting commentary begins.
3 December 2025
Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 & Rules, 2025: FAQs
India's DPDP Act and the 2025 Rules reshape how businesses collect and handle personal data — consent, notices, breach reporting, and penalties up to ₹250 crore. A practical FAQ for businesses and individuals.
Adlin Mini M · 3 December 2025
The Maldives Gets a Real Trademark Law: What Rights Holders Should Do Now
The Maldives is replacing cautionary notices with a statutory, first-to-file registration system administered by a new IP office. The Act commences on 11 November 2026, with a 12-month window for existing rights holders to file — and prior use will no longer secure ownership on its own.
Raja Pannir Selvam · 1 May 2025
Foreign Filing Licence in India: When Do You Need One?
Section 39 of the Patents Act requires Indian residents to file in India first or obtain permission before filing abroad. Who it applies to, the six-week route, and what happens if you skip it.
Raja Pannir Selvam · 1 April 2025
Method Claims Are Patentable: Madras HC on Section 3(m) (Robert Bosch)
The Patent Office refused a Bosch method claim under Section 3(m), saying it made no physical product. The Madras High Court disagreed — a technical process run through sensors and controllers is patentable, and refusing on an unraised ground breached natural justice.
Raja Pannir Selvam · 1 April 2025
Wakefit Reclaims wakefit.in: Passive Squatting Is Still Bad Faith
A registrant parked wakefit.in on a pay-per-click page and hid their identity. Under the INDRP, Wakefit won it back — the tribunal holding that even passive holding of an infringing domain, plus concealment, amounts to bad faith.
Raja Pannir Selvam · 1 April 2025
Bose Reclaims boseindia.co.in: A Win Against Cybersquatting
A German registrant grabbed boseindia.co.in to sell look-alike products. Under the INDRP, Bose won it back — the tribunal finding confusing similarity, no legitimate interest and bad faith. What the March 2025 award means for well-known brands online.
Oruj Aashna · 19 March 2025
Is Intellectual Property 'Property' Under the SC/ST Atrocities Act?
When researchers' laptops and data were seized during an alleged caste-based eviction, the courts had to decide whether intellectual property counts as 'property' under the SC/ST Act. The answer, upheld by the Supreme Court: yes.
Vijayalakshmi R · 28 February 2025
Delhi High Court Orders Amazon to Pay ₹339 Crore for Counterfeit Goods
In a landmark 2025 ruling, the Delhi High Court held Amazon liable for ₹339.25 crore over counterfeit Beverly Hills Polo Club goods sold on its platform — a turning point for marketplace liability in India.