IP Cases — 2023
1,151 decisions across all jurisdictions
Page 28 of 39 · 1,151 total
Jawan Guarding Services Private Limited v.Senior Examiner of Trade Marks, Intellectual Property Office
The Madras High Court overturned the Senior Examiner's objections against Jawan Guarding Services Private Limited's trade mark applications. The court found that the device mark was inherently distinctive and disregarded the examiner's narrow focus on the words alone. Consequently, the appeals were allowed, directing the acceptance of the mark for advertisement, provided the appellant does not claim exclusive rights over its constituent words when used individually.
Jainsons Lights Private Limited v.The Registrar Of Trade Marks
The Delhi High Court upheld the Trade Marks Registry's decision to refuse registration for 'Jainsons Lights,' finding it deceptively similar to an earlier mark, 'M/s Jainsons Lites.' The court determined that despite the appellant claiming historical use of the name 'Jainson' since 1978, their specific claim of user for the complete subject mark was only from 2014. Since this date is subsequent to the prior mark's established usage in 2005, the appellant could not invoke Section 34 of the Trade Marks Act to overcome the likelihood of public confusion.
Agfa Nv & Anr. v.The Assistant Controller Of Patents And Designs & Anr.
Agfa Nv appealed a decision by the Assistant Controller of Patents and Designs that refused grant for its patent application concerning 'MANUFACTURING OF DECORATIVE LAMINATES BY INKJET'. The refusal was based on objections regarding lack of clarity, succinctness, and inventive step. The Delhi High Court examined these grounds, particularly focusing on whether vague terms like 'thermosetting resin' were adequately defined in the complete specification. Ultimately, the court set aside the impugned order, directing the Patent Office to proceed with granting the patent.
M/s.A.Habeebur Rahman Sons v.M/s.S.Jaffer Mohideen Alias Noushad
The Madras High Court dismissed an appeal filed by M/s.A.Habeebur Rahman Sons against the rejection of their opposition to a trademark application (No.676174). The court found that despite the appellant's claims of prior use of 'S', the respondent's mark, which prominently features 'FILTER BEEDI,' was not likely to cause confusion among consumers. However, the judgment imposed strict conditions on the respondent, requiring them to use their label in combination with two other specific labels and formally undertake not to use the 'SS' logo independently.
Varun Chopra & Jagdaman Kumar Chopra v.Shyam Sunder Chopra And Sons, Sampan Chopra, Vaibhav Chopra, Samvitee Foods Pvt Ltd
The Karnataka High Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, overturning a lower court's decision to reject their trademark infringement suit. The core issue was whether Section 20 of the CPC (territorial jurisdiction) was applicable despite provisions of the Trade Marks Act. The Court held that the special provisions of the Trademark Act do not oust the general principles of territorial jurisdiction under the Code of Civil Procedure, especially when the cause of action arises within the court's jurisdiction. Consequently, the matter was remanded back to the Trial Court for a fresh consideration of the plaint rejection application.
Marico Limited v.MW & Sons
The Commercial IP Suit filed by Marico Limited against MW & Sons regarding alleged trademark infringement was settled between both parties. The Court accepted the Consent Minutes of Order, leading to the disposal and decreeing of the suit in favour of the Plaintiffs.
M/s.S.Ponnusamy Gounder & Co. v.Sri Balaji and Co., Deputy Registrar of Trademarks
The Madras High Court dismissed the Original Petition filed by M/s.S.Ponnusamy Gounder & Co. against Sri Balaji and Co. and the Deputy Registrar of Trademarks. The petition, which sought to cancel a registered trademark (No. 1232741 in Class 30), was withdrawn by the petitioner's counsel due to a compromise reached in an earlier case (C.S.No.797 of 2009). This outcome highlights how pre-existing settlements can impact ongoing IP litigation.
F.Hoffmann-La Roche Ag v.The Controller of Patents and Designs, Government of India
F.Hoffmann-La Roche Ag filed an appeal challenging an order passed by The Controller of Patents and Designs regarding Patent No. 208718. However, the petitioner subsequently informed the court that the patent had expired on October 1, 2019.
J. B. Chemicals And Pharmaceuticals Ltd v.Mahendra Singh And Anr
The Delhi High Court granted an interim injunction in favor of J. B. Chemicals And Pharmaceuticals Ltd against Mahendra Singh and Anr regarding trademark infringement. The Plaintiff, owner of the 'BIZFER' marks for pharmaceutical products, successfully argued that the Defendants' use of the similar mark 'VIZFER' constituted deceptive similarity. Given the potential negative ramifications for public health and safety due to the alleged unauthorized use in the pharma sector, the court restrained the Defendants from manufacturing or marketing the impugned mark until further hearing.
Gautam Lal Tak v.The Registrar Of Trade Marks
Gautam Lal Tak filed a writ petition against The Registrar of Trade Marks, seeking expediting of his long-pending trademark registration for 'MAHALAXMI BRAND' in Class 29. After seven years of delay, the Rajasthan High Court disposed of the petition by issuing a directive to the Respondent. The court mandated that the Registrar must decide the pending application within six months from receiving the certified copy of the order.
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha v.Sharp Industries & The Deputy Registrar of Trade Marks
The Madras High Court dismissed the appeal filed by Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha challenging an earlier order that allowed a competitor, Sharp Industries, to register the mark 'SHARP' for pumps. Despite presenting extensive evidence regarding its global reputation and prior use of the trademark, the court upheld the original decision. The core reasons for upholding the registration were that the goods in question (pumps) were deemed dissimilar from the appellant's primary products, and crucially, the appellant failed to definitively establish that 'SHARP' was a well-known mark within India as required by the Trade Marks Act.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Ireland Unlimited Company v.Indoco Remedies Limited
The dispute between Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Ireland and Indoco Remedies Limited regarding the validity and infringement of patent IN 247381 for Apixaban was amicably resolved through mediation. The defendant acknowledged the patent's validity until its expiry date (September 17, 2022) and confirmed discontinuing all related activities.
Manya Vejju Alias Mv Kasi v.Sapna Bhog
This appeal before the Bombay High Court concerned an order restraining the appellant (Manya Vejju) from making statements alleging copyright infringement against the respondent (Sapna Bhog). The dispute centered on allegations of plagiarism and unauthorized copying between their respective literary works in the romance genre. The court held that determining whether actual infringement exists is beyond the scope of a suit under Section 60, as it risks prejudging an action for infringement. Consequently, the High Court quashed the impugned order and remitted the matter back to the District Judge for fresh determination after considering the underlying infringement suit.
Koninklijke Philips N.V. v.Oplus Mobitech India Pvt. Ltd. & Ors.
The Plaintiff, Koninklijke Philips N.V., filed suit alleging infringement of five Indian patents covering SEPs essential to 3G/4G telecommunication standards by the Defendants, who manufacture and sell OnePlus smartphones. The court addressed an application for a pro-tem arrangement, recognizing the importance of these SEPs in industry standards.
Novozymes A/S v.The Assistant Controller of Patents and Designs, Patent Office
Novozymes A/S filed a Transfer Civil Miscellaneous Appeal (Patents) seeking to grant a patent for Indian Patent Application No.1691/CHENP/2010. However, the learned counsel for the appellant subsequently instructed the court to withdraw the appeal.
Syngenta Participations Ag v.Controller Of Patents Designs
Syngenta Participations Ag filed an appeal challenging the Controller's decision to reject its Indian patent application. The rejection was based on the grounds of lacking inventive step and falling under Section 3(d) of the Patents Act, 1970. The appellant argued that sufficient data existed to prove significant enhanced efficacy under Section 3(d). The court allowed applications for condonation of delay and exemption from filing documents before directing notice and setting the matter for further hearing.
E.Kiruthika v.(1)K.S.Moorthi Ram, (2)M.Maheshwari Partnership Firm M/S.Vishwak Garments, The Registrar of Trade Marks
The Madras High Court dismissed the petition filed by E.Kiruthika seeking to cancel the trademark registration 'VISHWAK' (No.2406200). The court noted that the trademark registration had expired on October 4, 2023, and since the long stop date for renewal had passed, the petition was deemed infructuous. This highlights the critical importance of timely action regarding trademark renewals to maintain legal rights.
UltraTech Cement Ltd. v.Ultratech Paints and Allied Products
The plaintiffs filed an Interim Application seeking a temporary injunction against the defendants. The court allowed the application, granting an interim order restraining the defendants from using the impugned name 'ULTRATECH' and associated domain names to infringe upon or pass off goods related to the well-known trade mark 'UltraTech'.
Unilever Global Ip Limited v.Vikas Cosmetics
The parties to the Commercial IPR Suit arrived at a settlement on July 24, 2023. The suit was subsequently disposed of and decreed in favor of the Plaintiff based on the terms agreed upon in the Consent Minutes of Order.
10x Genomics, Inc. v.Vizgen, Inc.
In this UPC case concerning patent infringement, the court issued a complex order regarding document disclosure stemming from parallel US litigation. The respondent sought to introduce evidence related to non-technical issues (such as competitive practices) into the European proceedings. The court granted the submission of specific documents but imposed stringent confidentiality requirements ('Outside Attorneys' Eyes Only'), balancing the need for evidence with protecting trade secrets.
Ramesh Gupta And Rajan Gupta Partners Of M/s Ganga Containers v.M.A.Hameed Proprietor, AH Food products
The Madras High Court dismissed a trademark petition filed by Ramesh Gupta and Rajan Gupta Partners against M.A. Hameed Proprietor. The court noted that the core subject matter, Trademark Registration No. 1879905, had been cancelled. Since the underlying right was no longer valid, the entire petition became infructuous, leading to its dismissal without any order regarding costs.
Kiri Industries Limited v.Huntsman Advanced Material (Switzerland) GMBH, The Controller of Patents, The Controller of Patents & Design
Kiri Industries Limited filed an Original Petition seeking revocation of Patent No. 216182, granted to Huntsman Advanced Material for 'AN AZO DYE'. The petitioner subsequently informed the court that it was withdrawing the rectification petition.
Tri-Parulex Fire Protection System v.Ctr Manufacturing Industries Private Limited
This commercial appeal challenged an interim order that restrained Tri-Parulex (appellant) from infringing the Plaintiff's Patent No. 202302, which relates to a fire protection system for electrical transformers. The Bombay High Court allowed the appeal, finding no prima facie case of infringement and noting that the balance of convenience tilted in favor of the appellant.
T.A.S. Safraj Khan (USI Traders) v.S.A.Safiullah and The Controller of Patents
The petitioner filed a petition seeking the revocation of Patent No. 198079, which was granted to S.A.Safiullah by The Controller of Patents. However, the respondent submitted that the term of the patent had already expired, rendering the matter infructuous.
National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) v.Mc. GAN's Ooty School of Architecture
NIFT filed an arbitration petition challenging an award that favored Mc. Gan's Ooty School of Architecture (Respondent No.1). The dispute centered on Respondent No.1 allegedly violating the MOU by using NIFT's name and logo to solicit students, leading to termination. The court upheld the arbitrator's award, dismissing NIFT's petition.
Shear Genius Academy & Services Pvt. Ltd. v.M/s.Team-Venture; The Registrar of Trade Marks
The Madras High Court dismissed the Original Petition filed by Shear Genius Academy & Services Pvt. Ltd. seeking to remove or rectify the trade mark 'SHEAR MAGIC UNISEX SALON AND SPA' from the Register of Trade Marks. The dismissal was based solely on the petitioner's failure to appear and prosecute the matter despite multiple notices being served. This ruling highlights the strict procedural requirements in trademark litigation.
Ajay Panwar v.Kishore Chhabra
The appeal involved a request by Ajay Panwar (appellant/defendant No. 2) to stay the execution of an earlier judgment restraining him from using specific machinery. The respondent claimed patent rights over the machinery and copyright protection for drawings related thereto.
Chivas Holdings (Ip) Limited v.Mcdowell And Company Limited
The Madras High Court allowed Chivas Holdings' petition seeking the removal and rectification of a conflicting trademark registration, 'Tribute,' in Class 33. The court noted that Respondent No. 2 (United Spirits Limited) had filed an application for cancellation of this specific mark. Consequently, the court directed the Registrar of Trade Marks to rectify the register by removing Trademark Registration No. 636945 from the records.
Unilever Ip Holdings B.V. v.Mritunjay Kumar
The Commercial IP Suit filed by Unilever Ip Holdings B.V. against Mritunjay Kumar was settled between the parties. The Court accepted the Consent Terms, which were signed by both sides, and consequently disposed of and decreed the suit.
Ust Global (Singapore) Pte Ltd v.The Controller Of Patents And Designs and Anr.
Ust Global appealed the rejection of its application for registering a design titled "Touch Screen," which was a Graphical User Interface (GUI). The Controller rejected it, arguing that GUI is incapable of design registration because it is software-based and only visible when the product is operating. The High Court set aside this order, finding that GUI qualifies as an industrial process applied to an article and is registrable.
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