IP Cases — 2024
1,677 decisions across all jurisdictions
Page 47 of 56 · 1,677 total
Samsung Electronics Co,M v.Samsung Leasing & Ors.
The Delhi High Court addressed several procedural applications in the trademark passing off suit filed by Samsung Electronics. The court allowed a minor application concerning corporate name changes for one defendant, while simultaneously framing an additional issue to determine the validity and non-use of the plaintiff's 'SAMSUNG' trademarks. Furthermore, the court dismissed the defendants' attempt to prematurely adjudicate objections regarding the mode of proof during evidence, holding that such issues are best reserved for final arguments.
Panasonic Holdings Corporation v.Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corp. Ltd.
This UPC decision addressed a request for confidentiality protection under Rule 262A VerfO in an infringement case involving OPPO and Panasonic. The court confirmed that the information was indeed confidential but modified the scope of access and rejected the demand for document destruction post-trial. This ruling provides clarity on balancing the need for secrecy with the practical requirements of litigation, particularly regarding permissible access by legal representatives.
3M Innovative Properties Company v.Joint Controller of Patents and Designs
The petitioner appealed against the Joint Controller's order rejecting its patent application for a compound used in treating viral diseases and tumors. The rejection was based on lack of inventive step and falling under Section 3(d).
Axon Enterprise, Nic v.Registrar Of Trade Marks
The Delhi High Court allowed the appeal filed by Axon Enterprise against the Registrar of Trade Marks' refusal to register its trademark 'AXON'. The court found that through strategic use of consent letters and modifications to the description of goods (including disclaimers), the objections raised regarding conflicting marks could be overcome. Consequently, the registration application was directed to proceed to advertisement before acceptance, paving the way for eventual registration.
Panasonic Holdings Corporation v.OROPE Germany GmbH; Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corp. Ltd.
In this procedural matter, Panasonic Holdings Corporation sought permission to call its expert witness as a formal witness during the oral hearing concerning a FRAND counterclaim. The Mannheim Local Division denied the request, emphasizing that once the interim proceedings are formally concluded, further substantive requests are highly restricted under UPC rules. The court also clarified that an expert's role is to present specialized opinions, which differs fundamentally from providing testimony on disputed facts.
Phonepe Pvt Ltd & Anr. v.AGF Finlease India Ltd & Ors.
The Delhi High Court granted an interim injunction in favor of Phonepe Pvt Ltd against AGF Finlease India Ltd and others. The court found that the defendants were using deceptively similar marks like 'PHONEPEY' and 'PHONEPEY LOAN,' leading to infringement, passing off, and dilution of PhonePe's goodwill. Consequently, the court ordered a restraint on the use of these marks across various platforms and directed the suspension of specific domains and social media accounts.
Haryana Pesticides Manufactures Association v.Assistant Controller of Patents and Designs & Anr.
The petitioner, an association of pesticide manufacturers, challenged the dismissal of their pre-grant opposition against a patent application (No.538/DEL/2010) filed by Crystal Crop Protection Limited. The core dispute revolved around whether the respondent failed to serve notices correctly after the petitioner changed their email address.
Punam Flutes v.Mahesh Chand Gupta And Anr
The Delhi High Court allowed Punam Flutes' petition seeking the cancellation of a conflicting trademark registration ('PUNAM'). The court found that the impugned mark was deceptively similar to the Petitioner's prior and well-established mark, 'PUNAM FLUTES,' used for musical instruments. Given the strong potential for consumer confusion and the Petitioner's established market reputation, the Court ruled that the Respondent's registration could not sustain under Section 11(1)(b) of the Trademarks Act.
QUALCOMM INCORPORATED v.EPO
Qualcomm Incorporated initiated proceedings at the UPC to annul a decision made by the European Patent Office regarding patent EP3516914. However, the EPO subsequently rectified the contested decision in line with Qualcomm's request. Consequently, the Court of First Instance closed the action without further deliberation or consultation of the parties. This case highlights the procedural mechanism within the UPC for handling actions against decisions of the EPO when those decisions are corrected by the Office.
Kashmir Harvard Educational Institute v.President And Fellows Of Harvard College
Kashmir Harvard Educational Institute challenged an arbitral award that directed the transfer of its domain name, <kashmirharvard.edu.in>, to President and Fellows of Harvard College. The dispute arose from a complaint filed under the INDRP alleging trademark infringement due to the confusing similarity between the domain name and the globally recognized 'HARVARD' mark. The Delhi High Court upheld the arbitral award, finding that the domain was identical to the trademark and caused confusion, thereby dismissing the petitioner's appeal.
Tiger Aspect Kids And Family Limited v.Mr.Bean Trampoline Park/Mr.Been Trampoline Park
Tiger Aspect Kids And Family Limited successfully obtained leave from the Bombay High Court to proceed with a commercial IP suit against Mr.Bean Trampoline Park. The petitioner, owner of the 'Mr.Bean' character and associated trademarks/copyrights, alleged infringement by the respondent operating under similar names and marks. The court granted permission, finding that a substantial part of the cause of action arose within Mumbai, thereby establishing jurisdiction despite the park being located elsewhere.
Winnow Solutions Limited v.Orbisk B.V.
In a procedural ruling concerning infringement proceedings, the UPC CFI partially granted Winnow Solutions Limited's request to compel Orbisk B.V. to produce evidence regarding its food waste monitoring system (Orbi). The court recognized that while the initial requests were broad, specific technical documentation detailing how the Orbi System categorizes and corrects erroneous weights was necessary for a proper evaluation of infringement. This decision underscores the UPC's willingness to manage discovery in complex cases, balancing the claimant's need for evidence against the respondent's concerns over confidentiality.
HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P v.LAMA FRANCE
This procedural order in the HPDC v LAMA infringement case addressed disputes over the scope of evidence and arguments presented by both parties. The court strictly applied the Rules of Procedure, limiting what could be debated based on previous submissions. This ruling emphasizes the importance of adhering to the structured phases of written proceedings within the UPC.
M/S.Mysore Commerce & Sales Pvt. Ltd. v.M/s.Anti Surge Fuses & Lamps; M/s.Shri Krishna Industries; The Registrar of Trade Mark
The Madras High Court dismissed the petition filed by M/S.Mysore Commerce & Sales Pvt. Ltd., which sought the removal of a trade mark entry from the Register of Trade Marks. The dismissal was not based on the merits of the case, but rather because the Registry's attempt to serve notice on the petitioner failed due to an incorrect address. Crucially, the Court allowed the petitioner to revive the petition since the failure was attributable to the Registry's inability to effect service.
M/S. Sri Laxmi Balaji Industries v.M/S. Lakshmi Venkateshwar Saroja Hangaraki Rice Industries
The Karnataka High Court allowed a writ petition filed by M/S. Sri Laxmi Balaji Industries, quashing an earlier order that had dismissed their application for staying civil suit proceedings. The petitioners sought to halt the ongoing litigation (O.S.No.3/2012) while their trademark rectification application was pending before the Madras High Court. The court ruled that Section 124 of the Trade Marks Act mandates a stay on civil proceedings when a rectification application is pending, thereby granting relief and directing the petitioners to expedite the process.
Waycool Food Products Private Limited v.Cheedalla Gopinath, Aditya Rice Enterprises, Sree KVR Industries
Waycool Food Products Private Limited filed a civil suit against several defendants alleging passing off, copyright infringement, and misuse of its distinctive trade dress and logo in the packed rice market. The plaintiff sought permanent injunctions and damages for the alleged violations. Ultimately, both parties reached a Memorandum of Compromise on February 17, 2024, leading to the court decreeing the suit while noting that the plaintiff had waived the claim for monetary damages.
Snowpixie Co., Ltd. v.Golf Tech Golfartikel Vertriebs GmbH
In this procedural order from the Munich Local Division, the court granted a short extension of deadlines requested by the claimant's counsel due to documented health issues. The case involves both infringement and invalidity proceedings concerning EP 3 030 471. This decision highlights the UPC's willingness to grant extensions when credible medical reasons are presented, while also imposing strict conditions for proving those claims.
Mehboob Ahmad v.Muneer Ahmad & Anr.
The Delhi High Court addressed an appeal concerning the rejection of a device mark application for painting brushes. While the court upheld the finding that the mark was registrable (i.e., it had distinctive character), it noted that the initial Examiner's order failed to address objections under Section 11(1) regarding similarity with earlier marks. Consequently, the High Court disposed of the appeal by remitting the matter back to the Examiner, directing them to proceed only on the grounds of Section 11(1) and allowing the registration process to continue.
F. Hoffman-La Roche AG v.Rubin Medical ApS, c/o Diatom A/S, Tandem Diabetes Care Europe B.V.
In this UPC case concerning diabetes care technology, the court addressed multiple procedural challenges raised by defendants seeking to change the language of the proceedings from German to English. The claimants argued that such a change was not permissible under the EPC or Rules of Procedure. Ultimately, the court dismissed all requests for a language change, primarily due to technical failures in meeting strict filing deadlines, thereby maintaining the German language as the official procedural language.
Pfizer Inc. v.Incepta Pharmaceuticals Limited
The court confirmed an ex-parte ad-interim injunction granted earlier, restricting defendants from dealing in infringing products related to Patents No. 243571 and 250050, as other patents had expired. The court also directed service of notice for discovery regarding the origin and import of impugned products and allowed amendments to the plaint.
NEC Corporation v.TCL Industrial Holdings Co., Ltd.
This procedural order in UPC case UPC_CFI_498/2023 highlights the critical importance of technical precision in infringement claims. The plaintiff (NEC Corporation) was found to have submitted an incorrect standard (AVC instead of HEVC) as evidence of alleged patent infringement. Consequently, the court ordered NEC to amend its statement of claim within 10 days to provide the correct documentation and facilitate service on all parties.
Plant-e Knowledge B.V. v.Arkyne Technologies S.L.
In a significant ruling for green technology patents, the UPC found that Arkyne Technologies S.L. infringed Plant-e Knowledge B.V.'s patent EP2137782 by equivalence. The court applied a detailed four-part test to determine if the respondent's biofuel cell products fell within the scope of the claims, confirming both validity and infringement. This decision underscores the importance of robust claim construction and the application of the equivalence doctrine in complex technological fields like microbial fuel cells.
Audertec Solutions Llp v.Controller General Of Patents, Designs And Trade Marks & Anr.
Audertec Solutions LLP appealed the rejection of its patent application concerning 'a method and system for detecting road anomalies.' The Controller rejected the application, primarily citing a lack of inventive step compared to prior art D-2. The Delhi High Court was tasked with determining if the distinguishing features of the invention would be obvious to a person skilled in the art based on the disclosures in D-2. Ultimately, the court found no reason to differ from the Assistant Controller's decision.
United Spirits Limited & Anr. v.Globus Spirits Limited
In a recent order, the Delhi High Court addressed an application filed by Globus Spirits Limited seeking leave to cancel trademark registrations held by United Spirits Limited. The defendant argued that the plaintiffs' trademarks were not in use. The court accepted notice from the plaintiffs and directed them to file a reply within four weeks, followed by a rejoinder within two weeks, setting the next hearing for February 24, 2025.
GS1 India v.Deepak Traders & Ors.
The Delhi High Court granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction in favor of GS1 India against Deepak Traders & Ors. The dispute centers on the exclusive licensing and allocation of specific 13-digit GTIN barcodes (starting with '890') within India. The court found a prima facie case, noting that defendants were allegedly contravening the Terms of Use by allocating these unique identifiers to unauthorized entities, thereby disrupting the global GS1 identification system.
Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH v.Amgen, Inc.
In a significant decision, the UPC Central Division revoked European Patent EP 3 666 797 B1, which covers PCSK9 inhibitors used in cholesterol-lowering treatments. The case involved Sanofi-Aventis and Amgen, two major players in the biotech drug market. The revocation was based on patentability grounds, specifically concerning inventive step and claim interpretation. This ruling underscores the rigorous standards applied by the UPC when assessing complex biotechnological inventions.
Sunil Dutt Trading As Kilter v.Pro Muscle Science & Anr.
The Delhi High Court addressed the dispute between Kilter (owner of 'MUSCLE SCIENCE') and Pro Muscle Science regarding trademark infringement in the dietary supplement market. The court found that the Defendants' use of marks like 'PRO MUSCLE SCIENCE' was highly likely to cause consumer confusion, as the Plaintiff's registered mark is entirely incorporated into the competing names. Consequently, the existing interim injunction favoring the Plaintiff was confirmed. While the matter proceeds toward mediation, the ruling strongly affirms the protection afforded to established trademarks against similar competitors.
Nec Corporation v.Assistant Controller Of Patents And Designs
Nec Corporation appealed an order dated June 21, 2022, passed by the Patent Officer rejecting their patent application. The application, filed in 2017 as a national phase PCT filing, relates to video coding and decoding technology.
Progress Maschinen & Automation AG v.AWM Srl, SCHNELL S.p.A.
This UPC Court of Appeal decision addresses procedural issues surrounding evidence preservation and inspection under Article 60 UPCA. The court established that the disclosure of preserved evidence is not automatic; it requires balancing the applicant's need for information against the respondent's right to protect confidential trade secrets. Crucially, the ruling clarified the timing mechanism for revocation of measures, linking the deadline to when the evidence is actually disclosed or access is denied. This decision provides vital guidance on managing confidentiality in preliminary UPC proceedings.
Victaulic Company v.The Controller of Patents and Designs, Government of India
Victaulic Company appealed the rejection of its patent application (No. 201948026247) by the Controller of Patents and Designs, Delhi. The appeal argued that the rejection disregarded a precedent set by the Delhi High Court in Syngenta Limited vs. Controller of Patents and Designs. The Madras High Court allowed the appeal.
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