M/S Godrej Sara Lee Limited v. Reckitt Benckiser Australia Pty.Ld.

CIVIL APPEAL NOS. 996-997/2010

The appeal challenged the Delhi High Court's decision regarding its jurisdiction to entertain appeals against orders passed by the Controller of Patents and Designs, Kolkata, which cancelled several registered designs for 'Insecticide Coil'. The Supreme Court held that since the cause of action arose in Kolkata (where the cancellation occurred), the Calcutta High Court, not the Delhi High Court, had the proper jurisdiction.

Jurisdiction
India
Court
Supreme Court of India
Case Number
CIVIL APPEAL NOS. 996-997/2010
Judge(s)
Cyriac Joseph,Altamas Kabir

Practitioner Note

This case demonstrates the evidentiary and procedural standards applied in design matters before Supreme Court of India. Understanding the court's reasoning in M/S Godrej Sara Lee Limited vs Reckitt Benckiser Australia Pty.Ld. is valuable context for structuring arguments or assessing risk in similar proceedings.

Related Cases

designAID 2 of 2018

Simon, S. A. U.vsThe Controller Of Patent & Designs & Anr.

Simon filed three applications for the registration of a design related to 'Accessories For Electrical Devices', claiming priority from a Spanish application. The Controller found that the design lacked novelty because it was taught by earlier, prior published designs and compared unfavorably with Registered Design No. 216507.

design

J.N. Electricals (India)vsPresident Electricals

J.N. Electricals sued President Electricals for infringing their registered design of an electric toaster, passing off, and copyright piracy of their promotional pamphlets. The court found that the defendant's toaster was deceptively similar to the plaintiff's registered design, and the defendants had outrightly copied the plaintiffs' pamphlet word-for-word.

designC/CS/5/2021

Symphony LimitedvsRaj Cooling System Private Limited

Symphony Limited filed a suit against Raj Cooling System Private Limited alleging infringement of its registered design (No. 288184) for air coolers. The dispute was settled amicably between the parties, leading to the court disposing of the suit.

design2026:CHC-OS:71 (Multiple Appeals)

Nec CorporationvsThe Controller Of Patents And Designs

The appeals challenged the rejection of various applications seeking to register GUIs as industrial designs. The appellants argued that the Controller adopted an unduly strict interpretation, failing to recognize GUIs as registrable designs under the Designs Act, 2000. The Court held that the respondent authorities failed to apply the correct legal tests regarding GUI registration.

designnull

Brighto Auto IndustriesvsRaj Chawla (Messrs B.Chawla & Sons)

Brighto Auto Industries filed a petition to cancel the design registration (No. 139585) held by Raj Chawla's firm for rear view mirrors, arguing that the design lacked novelty and originality as it was common in the market. The court examined whether the minor modification made by the respondent constituted a new or original design.

Arctic Invent — IP Strategy

Protecting your design rights?

Design disputes move fast. Arctic's IP team specializes in interim relief, design invalidation, and cross-border enforcement strategies.

Speak to a specialist →

Disclaimer: This page contains an automated summary based on publicly available judicial records. The content is generated for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Always verify details against the original source judgment before relying on this information for any legal purpose. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us.

Strategy Consult

Facing a similar design matter?

Arctic's litigation team uses precedent data like this to build winning arguments.

Get a Strategy Call