IP Cases — 2016
133 decisions across all jurisdictions
Page 2 of 5 · 133 total
M/s. INPHASE POWER TECHNOLOGIES PRIVATE LIMITED v.M/s. ABB INDIA LIMITED
The appeal was filed by the defendants (M/s Abb India Limited) challenging the trial court's order that allowed temporary injunctions against them regarding patent infringement and misappropriation of confidential information. The High Court upheld the lower courts' findings, dismissing the appeals.
People Interactive (India) Private Limited v.Vivek Pahwa And 4 Ors
The Bombay High Court ruled against People Interactive in its suit seeking to restrain the defendants from using the domain name 'secondshaadi.com' and passing off their services as those of Shaadi.com. Despite the Plaintiff holding registered trademarks and substantial goodwill, the court found that the Plaintiff was estopped by acquiescence. The judgment emphasizes that a trademark owner who is aware of an infringing use but remains silent while the competitor grows cannot later claim exclusivity.
Mr. Subramanian Venkataraman v.Precision Automation and Robotics India Limited
The plaintiffs filed a suit seeking permanent and mandatory injunctions, along with damages, against the defendants for infringing their patent (No. 224911) related to multilevel car parking. The parties subsequently filed a joint withdrawal memo before the court.
Mr. Subramanian Venkataraman v.Precision Automation and Robotics India Limited
The plaintiffs filed a suit seeking permanent and mandatory injunction, along with damages, against the defendants for infringing their patent (No. 224911) related to multilevel car parking. The parties subsequently filed a joint withdrawal memo.
Eneroil Offshore Drilling Ltd v.Centek Limited
The suit concerning patent infringement was pending between Eneroil Offshore Drilling Ltd and Centek Limited. The parties subsequently reached an out-of-court settlement, which involved the plaintiff undertaking not to use Boron steel or its equivalent for manufacturing single piece centralizers.
Seven Towns Ltd v.M/S Kiddiland
Seven Towns Ltd, a global manufacturer of the Rubik's Cube, filed a suit against M/S Kiddiland alleging infringement of copyright and passing off. The plaintiffs claimed proprietary rights in the distinctive trade dress and artistic elements of their product's label and packaging. Despite initial challenges from the defendants regarding variations in detail, the Delhi High Court granted interim injunctions, finding that the plaintiffs had made a prima facie good case and that the balance of convenience lay in their favor.
ITC Ltd v.Britannia Industries Ltd
ITC Ltd successfully obtained an interim injunction against Britannia Industries Ltd in the Delhi High Court. The court found that Britannia's Nutri Choice Digestive Zero biscuit packaging was deceptively and confusingly similar to ITC's Sunfeast Farmlite Digestive - All Good packaging, leading to a prima facie case of passing off. While granting the injunction, the court provided flexibility, allowing Britannia to adopt its international packaging or change the blue color scheme to another distinctive color, ensuring business continuity while protecting ITC's trade dress.
M/S Dharti Soap Factory v.M/S Navchetan Detergent Product
The Gujarat High Court addressed an application for review filed by M/S Dharti Soap Factory against a previous order concerning Section 142 of the Trademark Act. The court found that since the subject matter was already being litigated in related civil and trademark suits, any observations made under Section 142 were merely interpretations of law, not errors of fact. Consequently, the application for review was rejected as devoid of merits.
M/S Johnson Appliances (P) Ltd. v.H.E. Industries & Ors.
The Delhi High Court ruled in favor of M/S Johnson Appliances, finding that the defendants infringed upon the registered trademark 'JOHNSON' in relation to electric water heaters. The court extensively reviewed the historical chain of title, confirming the plaintiff's continuous ownership and rights over the mark since 1960. Despite the defendant's reliance on an alleged license agreement, the court held that the defendants lacked any valid rights to use the mark for these specific goods, granting a permanent injunction.
Yash Plastomet Pvt. Ltd. v.The Assistant Controller Of Patents & Designs & Anr.
The appellant challenged the registration of Design No. 180660 ('Container Lid'), arguing that it was neither new nor original, having been previously registered (Design Nos. 177677 and 177678) and prior published in 1997. The respondent argued that Design No. 180660 possessed distinct features making it novel compared to the earlier designs. The High Court upheld the lower authority's finding, concluding that Design 180660 was new and original.
Yash Plastomet Pvt. Ltd. v.The Assistant Controller Of Patents & Designs & Anr.
Yash Plastomet Pvt. Ltd. appealed the dismissal of its application to cancel Design No. 187706 (a 'Container'). The appellant argued that the design was not new because it had been previously published in October 1997 and registered earlier. The High Court dismissed the appeal, upholding the Controller's order, finding no sufficient evidence of prior publication or novelty.
R. Muralidharan v.The Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice; The Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry; The Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs; The Controller General of Patent and Designs and Trademark
This writ petition challenged a public notice issued by the Controller General of Patents regarding PCT National Phase Applications in India. The petitioner argued that this notice restricted applicants from amending their specifications before entering the national phase, thereby denying rights granted under Sections 57 and 59 of the Patents Act. The core dispute centered on whether procedural restrictions related to filing fees should be subject to judicial review. The High Court ultimately dismissed the petition, holding that the matter was a procedural issue best left to the experts and the Central Government's power regarding fee determination.
Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd. v.Medi Pharma & Another
The Delhi High Court ruled in favor of Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd. in a trademark infringement suit concerning the brand name 'POLYCAP'. The court granted a permanent injunction, preventing the defendants from manufacturing or marketing products under the disputed mark or any deceptively similar variation. This decision underscores the importance of protecting established pharmaceutical trademarks and maintaining consumer trust regarding product efficacy.
The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd. v.Entertainment Network (India) Ltd.
This case involved disputes arising from a license agreement between The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd. (a Copyright Society) and Entertainment Network (India) Ltd. (an FM radio station operator). The core dispute centered on whether the claimant needed a license to broadcast copyrighted musical works, and subsequent claims regarding royalty payments and refunds. The Bombay High Court reviewed the arbitral award, ultimately setting aside one part of it due to lack of jurisdiction while allowing the petition filed by the Copyright Society.
The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd. v.Entertainment Network (India) Ltd.
This case involved disputes between The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd. (a Copyright Society) and Entertainment Network (India) Ltd. concerning the use of copyrighted musical and literary works on FM radio stations. Both parties challenged an arbitral award dated December 6, 2011, before the Bombay High Court. The core legal battle centered on whether the claims regarding licensing and royalty refunds were arbitrable or required adjudication by a Civil Court. The court ultimately set aside part of the original award concerning the claimant's right to broadcast due to lack of jurisdiction, while dismissing the petitioner's (claimant's) arbitration petition.
M/S Stellar Information Technology Private Ltd v.Mr Rakesh Kumar & Ors
The Plaintiff, a data recovery company, filed an application seeking an interim injunction against its former employees (Defendants) for allegedly using confidential information, trade secrets, and client lists to compete with the Plaintiff. The Defendants argued that any restrictive covenants in their employment agreements were void under Section 27 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872, leading the court to dismiss the application.
Times Publishing House Ltd. v.Financial Times Ltd & Ors.
The Delhi High Court dismissed the appeals filed by Times Publishing House Ltd. against Financial Times Ltd, addressing challenges related to the validity and rectification of the 'FT' trademark. The judgment clarified the interplay between civil suit proceedings and IPAB rectification petitions under Section 124 of the Trade Marks Act. Crucially, the court noted that since the IPAB had already ruled in favor of the respondent regarding the mark's validity, the issues raised by the appellant became academic, leading to the dismissal of both appeals.
M/S R G Oswal Hosiety Industries & Anr. v.Dindayal Gupta & Anr.
The Delhi High Court dismissed the appeal filed by M/S R G Oswal Hosiety Industries regarding its trademark 'Dollar' in hosiery goods. The court found that the appellant failed to establish prima facie evidence of prior user or market dominance compared to the respondent. Despite citing previous case law, the appellants could not demonstrate sufficient sales figures or continuous use before 1989, leading the court to uphold the denial of interim relief.
Controller Of Patents & Designs v.Deputy Registrar, Intellectual Property Appellate Board
The Controller of Patents & Designs challenged an order by the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) which had allowed the appeal of respondents against the rejection of a patent application. The dispute centered on whether the Controller failed to exercise proper discretion, specifically concerning the insufficient fee paid for all claims in the application.
Mankind Pharma Limited v.Sun Pharma Laboratories Limited
Mankind Pharma Limited challenged an order regarding territorial jurisdiction in its trademark infringement suit against Sun Pharma Laboratories Limited. The core dispute centered on whether the plaintiff could file the suit in Chennai, given that the defendant claimed no sales or office presence there. The Madras High Court ultimately dismissed the appeals, finding that the appellant's actions and disclosures indicated a sufficient connection to the local jurisdiction.
M/s.Cavinkare Pvt. Ltd. v.Hindustan Unilever Ltd.
The suit was filed by M/s.Cavinkare Pvt. Ltd. seeking a declaration that its cosmetic composition did not infringe Patent No.169917 and requesting a permanent injunction against Hindustan Unilever Ltd. The court found that the subject patent had already expired in 2009, rendering the claims of infringement and the request for an injunction moot.
M/S Bright Enterprises Private Limited & Anr v.Mj Bizcraft LLP & Anr
The Delhi High Court dismissed a trademark infringement and passing off suit filed by M/S Bright Enterprises Private Limited against MJ Bizcraft LLP. The plaintiffs sought an injunction to prevent the use of 'PRIVEE' due to similarity with their mark 'MBD PRIVE'. However, the court found that the plaintiffs failed to establish that the generic word had acquired a secondary meaning specific to them in the hotel industry. Given the lack of evidence supporting distinctiveness and the principles allowing for summary dismissal of doomed suits, the suit was dismissed.
M/S Rspl Limited v.Mukesh Sharma & Anr
This appeal challenged a single judge's decision that dismissed an IP suit based on lack of territorial jurisdiction. The appellant, M/S Rspl Limited, had filed the suit under the Trade Marks Act and Copyright Act seeking injunction against alleged infringement and passing off by the respondents using the name 'GHARI TRADEMARK COMPANY'. The High Court Division Bench overturned the single judge's ruling, affirming that the court has jurisdiction given the plaintiff's corporate office and business activities within Delhi.
Akashaditya Harishchandra Lama v.Ashutosh Gowarikar And 4 Ors
The plaintiff filed a Notice of Motion alleging that his creative work had been plagiarized. The court dismissed the motion, finding that the plaintiff failed to establish a sufficient prima facie case due to an ever-shifting stand on what was infringed. Furthermore, the court criticized the plaintiff's conduct for publicizing the litigation in the media.
Mip Metro Group Intellectual Property GmbH & Co. KG v.Westfield Retail Pvt. Ltd.
The Delhi High Court addressed an application by the defendant seeking rejection of the plaint on grounds of lack of territorial jurisdiction. The court partially allowed this application, rejecting the plaintiff's claim regarding 'passing off.' However, it declined to reject the suit entirely concerning trademark infringement, allowing the matter to proceed to trial. This decision sets up key issues regarding both jurisdiction and locus standi for the plaintiff.
M/s. Cavinkaare Private Limited v.Panchaksharam Guru Moorthy
The Madras High Court addressed a complex dispute between M/s. Cavinkaare Private Limited and Panchaksharam Guru Moorthy regarding the trademarks 'KARTHIKA' and 'KARTIKA'. The litigation, which involved claims of infringement and passing off across multiple suits, was ultimately resolved through a Joint Compromise Memo. The court decreed C.S.No.204/2012 based on this compromise, granting Cavinkaare exclusive rights to the trademark in relevant goods and services while dismissing the counter-suit (C.S.No.467/2012).
Societe Des Produits Nestle S.A. v.Essar Industries
In this trademark infringement suit concerning the 'MAGGI' brand, the Delhi High Court addressed applications regarding evidence submission. While rejecting a major application by the defendants to introduce extensive new documentation due to concerns over trial delay and adherence to Commercial Courts Act principles, the court did allow the defendants to summon witnesses for documents that had previously been shared with the plaintiffs. This ruling emphasizes judicial caution against late-stage document filing in commercial disputes.
Wonderful Developers Private Ltd. v.Impresario Entertainment And Hospitality Private Ltd. & Ors.
The Delhi High Court addressed a conflict regarding when a trade mark infringement suit must be stayed pending rectification proceedings before the IPAB. The court clarified that merely filing a rectification application after an infringement suit has commenced does not automatically mandate a stay. Instead, the trial court must assess whether the plea of invalidity is prima facie tenable; if so, it should stay the suit to allow time for the IPAB decision. This ruling provides clarity on the procedural interplay between civil suits and IPAB rectification actions.
Merus N.V v.Assistant Controller of Patents and Designs, Government of India
Merus N.V appealed the rejection of its Indian Patent Application No. 467/CHENP/2011 by the Assistant Controller, which had been based on non-patentability grounds (Section 3(i) and 3(j)). The appellant argued that the amendments were permissible as they merely refined the claim to nucleic acid molecules while retaining the core invention. The High Court found merit in the appellant's argument regarding the scope of amendments.
M/S Allied Blenders & Distillers Pvt Ltd v.R.K. Distilleries Pvt Ltd
M/S Allied Blenders & Distillers Pvt Ltd filed a suit against R.K. Distilleries Pvt Ltd seeking permanent injunction and damages for alleged infringement and passing off of its trademark 'Officer's Choice'. The plaintiff asserted extensive goodwill, registered trademarks across multiple classes, and proprietary rights in the associated trade dress. However, the court ultimately dismissed the application on jurisdictional grounds, noting that the cause of action arose primarily outside Delhi (e.g., Andhra Pradesh), despite the plaintiff having a branch office there.
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