Not Responding To System-Generated Email On Patent Objections Cannot Be Construed As Abandonment: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has set aside the Patent Office's decision to abandon a Tetra Technologies patent application for failing to respond to objections raised in an examination report. The court ruled that the application could not be treated as abandoned solely because the company failed to respond to a system-generated email notifying it of the First Examination Report, without proof that the email was delivered.“Such an intimation, without more, cannot be the sole basis for visiting the...

Madras High Court Upholds Refusal To Register INEXO's FEDEXO Mark Over FedEx's Well-Known Trade Mark

The Madras High Court has upheld the refusal to register “FEDEXO” as a trade mark for INEXO Cast Metal Solutions Pvt Ltd, holding that FedEx's mark had acquired well-known status in India before INEXO applied in 2009.The Court said FedEx's inclusion in the Trade Marks Registry's list of well-known marks in February 2024 recorded that status and was not the sole basis for its finding.Justice A.D. Maria Clete dismissed INEXO's appeal on October 15, 2026.INEXO applied to register “FEDEXO” in...

Trademark Suit Over Influencer's Critical Social Media Posts Not Maintainable Before IP Division: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has ruled that a social media influencer's use of a company's trade mark or trade name merely to refer to it in critical posts does not amount to use “in the course of trade” under Section 29 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999.Justice A.J. Bhambhani held that Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited's suit against influencer Vishal Rattewal was not maintainable before the court's Intellectual Property Division, as it did not concern infringement of any intellectual property...

Delhi High Court Temporarily Restraints RK Cables From Using Packaging Similar To V-Guard Wires

The Delhi High Court has temporarily restrained the manufacturer and sellers of electrical wires sold under the brand RK Cables from using packaging that allegedly imitates V-Guard Industries Limited's black-and-yellow trade dress. The court has also directed online marketplaces IndiaMART and TradeIndia to remove specified listings of the products.Justice Vikas Mahajan passed the order on October 13, 2026.V-Guard sued R.K. Industries, which makes the RK Cables wires, along with four sellers and...

Delhi High Court Cancels 'The Brew Bukhara' Trademark On ITC's Plea

The Delhi High Court has recently cancelled the registration of “THE BREW BUKHARA”, a device mark registered by Gurugram resident Umesh Arora. The cancellation followed a challenge by ITC Limited and ITC Hotels Limited, which claimed that the mark was deceptively similar to their “BUKHARA” trademark. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav noted that Arora did not file a reply despite being served. His trademark agent, Balaji IP Practice, informed the court by email that use of the mark had been...

Madras High Court Sets Aside Refusal To Register Exponent Energy's 'EXPONENT' Trademark

The Madras High Court has set aside the Trade Marks Registry's refusal to register “EXPONENT” as a word mark for Exponent Energy Private Limited. The court ruled that the Registrar failed to explain why the mark could cause confusion and did not consider a statutory exception under the Trade Marks Act, 1999.Justice A.D. Maria Clete declined to direct acceptance of the mark for advertisement. The court remitted the application to the Registrar for fresh consideration within three months of the...

Madras High Court Grants Injunction Against Piracy Of Vijay Deverakonda's Ranaballi

The Madras High Court on Thursday granted an interim injunction to Mythri Movie Makers, producer of Ranaballi, to restrain the illegal recording, reproduction, and distribution of the film, which is being released in theatres today, October 16, 2026.The Telugu-language period action drama stars Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna.Justice P.B. Balaji passed the order on October 15, after the producer approached the court apprehending that the film could be illegally recorded and...

Actor Kriti Sanon Moves Delhi High Court To Protect Her Personality Rights

Actor Kriti Sanon has approached the Delhi High Court seeking protection of her personality rights. At the outset, Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav asked Sanon's counsel, Advocate Pravin Anand, to explain what personality rights protect. Anand submitted that these rights cover aspects of an individual's identity, including their image and voice. The Court asked Anand to assist it in taking a “comprehensive and holistic” view of the subject by submitting a compilation of relevant judgments and...

Madras High Court Closes Aamir Khan Productions' Copyright Suit Over “Batwara 1947” After Withdrawal

The Madras High Court has dismissed as withdrawn a copyright suit filed by Aamir Khan Productions Pvt Ltd to protect its film “Batwara 1947” from piracy.Justice P.B. Balaji recorded the withdrawal on October 13, 2026.The production house had sued 33 defendants. These included telecom operators and internet service providers such as Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio Infocomm and Vodafone India, as well as several local cable operators. It sought a permanent injunction...

Breach of Family Settlement Over Trade Name Falls Under Commercial Division, Not IPR Division: Calcutta High Court

The Calcutta High Court has held that a suit alleging breach of a family settlement restricting use of the trade name “Sindharam Sanwarmal” within one kilometre of a Cotton Street shop is maintainable before its Commercial Division and does not belong in the Intellectual Property Rights Division.Declining to grant an interim injunction, Justice Aniruddha Roy instead directed the defendant to maintain accounts and set apart profits from the disputed business.The plaintiff, Ramji Lal Agarwal, sued...

Delhi High Court Permanently Bars Hisar Coaching Operators From Using 'CAREER POWER' Mark

The Delhi High Court has permanently restrained two Hisar-based coaching operators from using the 'CAREER POWER' mark and its device, or the name 'METIS EDUVANTURES', in a passing off and copyright infringement suit filed by Metis Eduventures Private Limited India.Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav passed the judgment on October 5, 2026, observing that the company's rights needed protection through a final decree despite the operators having complied with an earlier interim injunction.The company...

Delhi High Court Bars 3 Pizza Outlets From Using 'Domind's', 'Domzz' And Other Names Mimicking Domino's

The Delhi High Court on 8 October, permanently restrained three Delhi pizza outlets from using names deceptively similar to Domino's trademarks, including “Domind's Pizza”, “Domzz Pizza”, “Domin'd Pizza”, “Domi'd Pizza” and “Dom'd Pizza”. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav passed the order in the suit filed by Domino's IP Holder LLC, which owns the group's intellectual property, and Jubilant FoodWorks, which operates Domino's franchises in India. The Bench observed that the outlets had “no...