IP Cases — 2008
83 decisions across all jurisdictions
Page 2 of 3 · 83 total
Magma Fincorp Limited v.Babu Murty Filley & Another
Magma Fincorp Limited filed a petition before the Calcutta High Court seeking various reliefs. The court granted an interim order restraining the respondents from dealing with or changing the identity of the specified equipment for three months, while allowing them to use it in their usual course of business.
Wipro Limited v.Oushadha Chandrika Ayurvedic India (P) Limited
Wipro Limited appealed against a single judge's decision to reject suits filed for trademark infringement ("Chandrika") and copyright infringement. The core issue was whether the Madras High Court had jurisdiction, as the respondents were located outside its territorial limits. The court held that when challenging jurisdiction via demurrer, the allegations in the plaint must be accepted as true.
M/S Spinner Marketing v.The Kerala State Electricity Board
The petitioner, holding a patent for tamper-proof meter security seals, challenged the Kerala State Electricity Board's decision to award a supply tender to the 4th respondent. The 4th respondent relied on having a design registration and argued that the product was not a new invention. The court ultimately dismissed the petition.
Joy Joseph v.Controller General Of Patents, Trade Marks and Disigns (Registrar of Trade Marks appointed under S.3 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999)
The petitioners sought judicial intervention because the second respondent was delaying the registration of an assignment deed (Ext.P2) for the trade mark 'Assam Apple Valley', which had been filed via Form TM-24 (Ext.P3). The delay caused undue hardship to the first petitioner in conducting business using the trade mark.
Parle Products Private Limited v.Surya Food & Agro Limited
Parle Products Private Limited appealed a single judge's order that revoked its leave to sue against Surya Food & Agro Limited. Parle alleged that Surya was pirating its registered biscuit packet designs, which were protected under the Designs Act, 2000. The lower court had denied leave based on jurisdictional concerns and lack of proof of sales within its area. However, the Madras High Court set aside this order, holding that since the suit involved questions of difficulty and importance, these matters could not be decided merely in an application to revoke leave.
Rolic Ag Et Al v.The Controller General Of Patents And ...
The appeal challenged the Patent Office's refusal to grant a patent for 'Topologically Structured Polymer Coating.' The appellants argued that the invention was novel and inventive, citing acceptance by the European Patent Office (EPO). The IPAB found that the Controller's refusal order lacked clarity and explicit reasons, leading to the remand of the case.
Dabur India Ltd. v.Amit Jain & Anr.
Dabur India Ltd. appealed the dismissal of its application seeking interim injunction against Amit Jain and others who were manufacturing and selling hair oil products in bottles and caps deceptively similar to Dabur's registered designs. The core dispute revolved around infringement of registered industrial designs for packaging, specifically concerning whether foreign registrations could be used to challenge the novelty of the Indian design.
Delmon Diagnostics & Research Centre (DDRC) v.Doctors Diagnostics & Research Centre (DDRC)
The Kerala High Court allowed the appeal filed by Delmon Diagnostics & Research Centre against a lower court's decision in a passing off suit. While acknowledging that the letters 'DDRC' were used by the plaintiff in their email address and office name prior to the defendant's use, the court held that mere usage in an email or building name does not automatically establish sufficient reputation for the trade mark. Consequently, the High Court set aside the lower court's judgment and directed a retrial to allow both parties to present further evidence.
Garware-Wall Ropes Ltd. v.Techfab India And 5 Ors.
The petitioner (Garware-Wall Ropes Ltd.), holding a patent for its Synthetic Rope Gabion (SRG Invention), filed a suit alleging infringement by the respondents after they acquired technical know-how from former employees. The appeal challenged an interlocutory order refusing the interim injunction, but the court ultimately dismissed the appeal and confirmed the refusal of the injunction.
Eureka Forbes Ltd. v.Hindustan Unilever Ltd.
The appeal challenged the Single Judge's decision to allow a suit for patent infringement. The court examined whether the plaint disclosed a cause of action, particularly when the suit was filed against another patentee. The High Court held that the plaint did disclose a cause of action and dismissed the appeal.
Glaxo Smith Kline Plc v.Controller Of Patents & Designs
The dispute concerned the application for Exclusive Marketing Right (EMR) under the Patents Act. After the relevant chapter was repealed by amendment in 2005, the appellants challenged the High Court's decision which had allowed appeals based on the argument that no further consideration of EMR was possible post-amendment. The Supreme Court ruled that due to Section 6 of the General Clauses Act, the vested right to challenge earlier orders remained alive.
Bureau Of Indian Standards v.Pepsico India Holdings P. Ltd.
This appeal before the Delhi High Court concerned whether Pepsico's use of specific terms ('PURE', 'PURITY GUARANTEED') and a pictorial device (snow-capped mountain) on its packaged drinking water label, Aquafina, was misleading. The Bureau of Indian Standards argued that these elements suggested the product was mineral water from mountains, which was untrue for standard packaged drinking water. After considering the statutory powers of BIS and consumer protection concerns, the court partially allowed the appeal.
Safari International And Anr. v.Subhash Gupta And Ors.
The Delhi High Court dismissed an appeal challenging the Intellectual Property Appellate Board's decision to uphold a trademark registration. The core dispute revolved around allegations of fraud and non-use concerning the 'SAFARI' trademark, used for cycles since 1974. The court affirmed that the respondent had continuously used the mark, either through his proprietorship or later via a family-controlled private limited company. Furthermore, the court emphasized that claims of fraud must be specifically pleaded and supported by cogent evidence, which was lacking in this case.
Paras Pharmaceuticals Ltd. v.Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd.
Paras Pharmaceuticals Ltd. filed a suit against Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., alleging that Ranbaxy was using negative advertisement and TV commercials for its pain reliever VOLINI to disparage Paras's popular product, MOOV. The court found that Ranbaxy's commercial depicted a box identical in artistic work and color scheme to MOOV, subtly suggesting that MOOV was inferior. Consequently, the Gujarat High Court allowed the appeal and directed Ranbaxy to change its packaging colors and cease using the appellant's artwork.
Michigan State University v.The Assistant Controller Of Patents And ...
Michigan State University appealed the decision of the Patent Office to abandon its divisional patent application (No. 1699/DEL/1996). The Patent Office had maintained objections that the claimed expression cassette did not constitute an invention under Section 2(1)(j) and was non-patentable. The IPAB found the abandonment order unsustainable due to a violation of natural justice, as no opportunity of hearing was provided.
Cannon Kabushiki Kaisha v.Ms. Alka Gupta Trading As Guide Men Tape
The appeal challenged an order that allowed a trade mark application for 'CANON' label in Class 9, despite opposition from Cannon Kabushiki Kaisha. The appellant argued its prior use and ownership of the famous mark 'CANON'.
Merck Kgaa v.The Registrar Of Trade Marks
Merck Kgaa appealed an order from the Assistant Registrar of Trade Marks regarding its trade mark 'CANDISTAT'. The core issue revolved around whether the appellant could be granted sufficient time to file necessary evidence in support of its opposition, despite procedural delays. The IPAB set aside the impugned order and allowed the appeal, emphasizing that opportunity must be granted to the applicant.
Indian Network for People living with HIV/AIDS v.Union of India
The petitioners, representing people living with HIV/AIDS, challenged the grant of Patent No.207232 by F.Hoffmann-La Roche AG for Valganciclovir derivative. They argued that since India adopted a product patent regime in 2005, any product invention disclosed prior to 1995 should be considered public domain and lack novelty. The court allowed the writ petition, setting aside the patent grant.
Bharat Glass Tube Limited v.Gopal Glass Works Limited
The appeal challenged the Calcutta High Court's order which had set aside the Assistant Controller's cancellation of Design No.190336 registration. The respondent (Gopal Glass Works Limited) claimed exclusive rights over its industrial design applied to glass sheets, marketed as Diamond Square. The appellant argued that the design was not new or original due to prior publication abroad.
Nirma Limited v.Nirman Plast (India) Pvt. Ltd.
Nirma Limited appealed against the rejection of its three trade mark oppositions (AMD-190624, AMD-190625, and AMD-190626) filed against Nirman Plast's applications for 'NIRMAN'. Nirma argued that the opposition was timely despite receiving the Trade Marks Journal late. The IPAB ruled that based on the statutory requirement to use the date the Journal is made available to the public, the opposition was beyond the prescribed time limit and dismissed the appeal.
Radio Today Broadcasting Ltd. v.Indian Performing Rights Society Ltd.
RTB challenged IPRS's claim that it held exclusive rights to grant licenses and demand payment for the broadcast of sound recordings. RTB argued that its business was being threatened by IPRS, which claimed copyright over underlying works. The court ultimately granted a quia timet injunction restraining IPRS from initiating proceedings against RTB.
P.M. Diesel Ltd. v.Patel Field Marshall Industries
P.M. Diesel Ltd. filed a suit seeking perpetual injunction against Patel Field Marshall Industries, alleging trademark infringement and passing off concerning the 'Field Marshal' mark used on diesel engines. The plaintiff claimed that the defendants were operating in Delhi and had violated both trademark and copyright rights. However, the court ruled that the plaintiff failed to provide material facts or documentary evidence of commercial sales within Delhi, which is necessary to establish a valid cause of action and territorial jurisdiction under established legal precedents.
K. Narayanan And Anr. v.S. Murali
The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, reaffirming that merely filing a trade mark application does not constitute a cause of action for a suit based on passing off. The judgment emphasized that an action for passing off requires established grounds demonstrating deception or injury to goodwill, which cannot be derived solely from a pending registration application filed by the alleged infringer. This ruling reinforces the legal requirement for concrete evidence of misrepresentation when seeking relief against passing off.
Micolube India Ltd. v.Maggon Auto Centre And Anr.
The Delhi High Court vacated an interim injunction previously granted to Micolube India Ltd. against Maggon Auto Centre and others regarding the use of the trademark 'MICO' for lubricants. The court found that while the plaintiff argued passing off, the defendant successfully challenged the injunction by pointing out their own prior registration of the identical mark in the same class. Furthermore, the court determined that prima facie, there was insufficient evidence to establish consumer confusion or injury to goodwill, leading to the vacation of the restraining order.
Wipro Limited, Thiru Vi Ka Industrial ... v.Oushadha Chandrika Ayurvedic India (P) ...
The plaintiffs (Wipro Limited) filed suits alleging infringement of their registered trade mark 'Chandrika' and associated copyright by the defendants. The lower court rejected these suits on jurisdictional grounds, arguing that no essential part of the cause of action arose within its territory. The High Court appellate bench overturned this decision, holding that when jurisdiction is challenged via demurrer, the allegations in the plaint must be taken as true.
Bda Private Limited v.John Distilleries Ltd.
The Delhi High Court addressed applications for an interim injunction in a complex trademark dispute involving the marks 'Officer's Choice' and 'Original Choice', used for whisky. Despite the plaintiff having filed suits based on both passing off and registered trademark infringement, the court found that the plaintiff failed to establish the essential element of misrepresentation required for a passing off action. Consequently, the application seeking an interim injunction was dismissed, though the defendants were directed to maintain proper sales accounts.
Cadila Healthcare Limited v.Diat Foods (India)
The Delhi High Court dismissed Cadila Healthcare Limited's application seeking an interim injunction against Diat Foods (India) for alleged passing off. Cadila claimed ownership and distinctiveness over the 'Sugar Free' mark, arguing that Diat was misleading consumers. However, the court found that Diat used 'Sugar Free' merely as a descriptive attribute on its packaging, coupled with clear disclosures like 'Sweetened with Splenda.' The court concluded that no consumer would be misled into believing the defendant's product was connected to the plaintiff, thus failing to establish the elements of passing off.
C. A. Polytech Pvt. Ltd. v.Controller Of Patents And Designs & Ors.
The petitioner challenged an order passed by the Assistant Controller of Patents and Designs. The court found that there was no delay in filing the appeal, making it admissible under the Designs Act, 2000. Consequently, the court admitted the appeal and stayed certain conflicting observations made previously.
Pernod Ricard S.A France v.Rhizome Distilleries Pvt. Ltd.
Pernod Ricard successfully obtained an interim injunction against Rhizome Distilleries in a trademark and passing off dispute. The court found that the defendant's use of 'IMPERIAL GOLD' and imitation of the plaintiffs' trade dress constituted deceptive similarity, leading to confusion among consumers. Given the prima facie case strength and the likelihood of irreparable harm, the court granted immediate relief.
Shiva Tobacco Company v.Madan Lal Jain
The plaintiff, Shiva Tobacco Company, sought a restraining order against the defendant for allegedly infringing its registered trade mark 'TIGER' used on chewing tobacco. The plaintiff demonstrated long-standing use of the mark since 1955, while the defendant claimed prior usage since 1963. The court found that a prima facie case existed in favor of the plaintiff and granted temporary injunction.
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