Trademarks
Perspectives on trademarks across India and the subcontinent.
Raja Pannir Selvam · 15 December 2022
Adobe Wins ₹2 Crore Against a Habitual Cybersquatter
A serial cybersquatter registered addobe.com and adobee.com — and ran a 'catch-all' email to harvest misaddressed mail. The Delhi High Court gave Adobe a permanent injunction, ₹2 crore in damages, domain transfer and website blocking.
Raja Pannir Selvam · 15 December 2022
A New Owner Can Claim the Mark's Original First-Use Date: Pidilite's M-SEAL
When you acquire a trademark, you acquire its history too. The Bombay High Court let Pidilite claim M-SEAL's use from 1968 — its predecessor's date — and injuncted the deceptively similar R-SEAL obtained by fraudulent concealment.
30 November 2022
Amitabh Bachchan Wins Protection for His Voice, Image and Likeness
Scammers used Amitabh Bachchan's voice and image for a fake 'KBC lottery' fraud and unauthorised merchandise. The Delhi High Court granted an ex parte injunction protecting his personality rights — and ordered ISPs to take down the URLs and telecom providers to block the numbers.
Adlin Mini M · 18 November 2022
One IP Lawyer Sues Another Over a Logo
The defendant argued the font was freely available and that a LinkedIn pitch two years earlier meant the plaintiff had acquiesced. Both arguments failed — and the court observed that a higher standard of integrity is expected of IP practitioners.
3 November 2022
Fly High v. Fly Higher: Descriptive Use Is Not Trademark Use
Frankfinn's registered 'Fly High' couldn't stop Vistara using 'Fly Higher' in a campaign. The Delhi High Court held that using a phrase descriptively — not as a source identifier — is not trademark infringement.
Abhishek R. · 27 April 2022
Trademark Renewal in Pakistan: Terms, Late Renewal and Restoration
A trademark in Pakistan lasts ten years and is renewable — but the second renewal requires proof of use, and missed deadlines run through late renewal and restoration windows. The timeline explained.
Aiswarya Kameswaran · 18 April 2022
Maintaining a Trademark in Sri Lanka: Renewal and the No-Restoration Rule
A Sri Lankan trademark lasts 10 years and renews on Form M05 — with a six-month grace period on a 10% surcharge. But there's a sting: Sri Lanka has no restoration. Miss the grace window and the mark is gone for good.
S. Sandhya · 5 April 2022
Moment Marketing and Its Legal Implications
Brands love riding a trending moment — but when they slapped their logos on PV Sindhu's Olympic win, it crossed into infringement. How trademark law, personality rights and the ASCI Code protect celebrities from unauthorised moment marketing.
Madhuharanjani Prabakaran · 2 April 2022
Sun Pharma v. Cipla: IP Rights Hold Even in a Medical Emergency
The Madras High Court refused to lift an injunction against Sun Pharma over the 'Respule' mark, holding that a pandemic and public-interest arguments cannot excuse a slavish imitation of a rival's trade dress.
30 March 2022
COVID Deadline Extensions: The Registry Issued Certificates It Shouldn't Have
The Supreme Court suspended limitation periods through the pandemic. The Trade Marks Registry issued registration certificates anyway, denying some opponents the chance to oppose while allowing others. The Delhi High Court's IP Division reopened the window.
29 March 2022
Groundless Threats and Trademark Bullying: What Section 142 Does
A bigger brand fires off cease-and-desist letters with no real case. Section 142 lets the party threatened hit back — an injunction, damages, or a declaration that the threats were unjustified. How it works, and its limits.
Jacob Ninan · 28 March 2022
Fantasy Sports and Trademarks: Whose Rights Are in Play?
Fantasy sports is a booming game of skill — but it collides with the trademarks and publicity rights of leagues, teams and players. How Indian law treats team marks, athlete names (Section 14), and personality rights, and why licensing is the fix.