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SURANA & SURANA > Posts tagged "copyright"

IPR NEWS – MARCH

Huawei Secures Patent Agreements with Vivo and Amazon Huawei has inked significant patent agreements with leading tech companies, Vivo and Amazon. The deals involve cross-licensing intellectual property to foster innovation and avoid potential legal disputes. The agreement with Vivo includes the exchange of patents related to smartphones, promoting collaboration and technological advancements in the competitive mobile industry. Simultaneously, Huawei's patent deal with Amazon focuses on a broader range of technologies, supporting both companies' commitment to innovation in diverse fields. These agreements highlight Huawei's strategic approach to intellectual property, fostering cooperation while protecting its technological assets. The collaborations aim to advance research and development...

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Protecting Celebrity Persona and Commercial Interests: Analysis of Anil Kapoor v. Simply Life India & Ors.

Sonam Nanda – Advocate, Surana & Surana International Attorneys INTRODUCTION On September 20, 2023, the Delhi High Court delivered a significant order in the case of Anil Kapoor v. Simply Life India & Ors, ruling in favor of the widely known Indian actor, Anil Kapoor. The court issued an ex parte order in response to Suit CS COMM 645 of 2023, where Kapoor sought protection for various facets of his personality that amounted to certain commercial value. These included his name, voice, dialogue delivery, image likeness, gestures, signatures, and other elements, primarily concerning their misuse across the internet. FACTS The Plaintiff, Anil Kapoor, asserted...

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IPR NEWS – SEPTEMBER

Renowned Authors, Including Grisham and Martin, Sue OpenAI Over Copyright Concerns Seventeen prominent authors, including John Grisham, George R.R. Martin, and Jodi Picoult, have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging copyright infringement. The authors claim that OpenAI's language model, GPT-3, is being used to generate content that mimics their writing style, posing a threat to their intellectual property. The lawsuit contends that OpenAI's GPT-3 generates text that closely resembles the authors' work, potentially leading to confusion among readers and devaluing their unique literary voices. The authors seek to protect their creative works and maintain control over their intellectual property rights. OpenAI...

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IMPORTANCE OF IP VALUATION: UNLOCKING THE TRUE VALUE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

IMPORTANCE OF IP VALUATION

Nihaarika Prudhvi, Trainee – Intellectual Property Rights Practice INTRODUCTION: In today's knowledge-driven economy intellectual property (IP) has become an asset for businesses across various industries. IP assets such as patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and designs can represent a significant portion of a company's worth. However accurately assessing the value of these assets can be a complex task. This is where IP valuation comes into play. IP valuation enables businesses to understand and quantify the value of their intangible assets aiding in strategic decision-making transactions and legal matters. So, basically this article helps the readers to gain a little knowledge about IP...

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NEW AGE DIGITAL GOVERNANCE: AN OVERVIEW OF THE DIGITAL PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION ACT, 2023

Sonam Nanda - Advocate, Surana & Surana International Attorneys INTRODUCTION In an ever-evolving digital world, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (the “Act”), stands as a crucial framework that demands our attention. As technology continues to weave itself into the fabric of our daily lives, the Act addresses the pressing need for robust data security and responsible data handling. It signifies a pivotal shift towards greater accountability and transparency in the digital landscape of India. Through a comprehensive review of its key provisions, this article will examine the changes brought forth by the Act and critically analyse the implications it carries...

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Application of the Doctrine of Territoriality in Protection of Trademarks – An analysis in view of the US Supreme Court’s Decision in Abitron Austria GmbH v. Hetronic International, Inc.

Application of the Doctrine of Territoriality in Protection of TradeMarks

Balaji. P, Principal Associate, IP Practice The trademark territoriality principle has long been a fundamental aspect of international intellectual property laws, governing the scope and protection of trade marks across borders. Recently, the US Supreme Court's decision in Abitron Austria GmbH v. Hetronic International, Inc. has brought renewed attention to this principle and its significance in the global trade and commerce. This article aims to examine the position of the territoriality principle in India with a focus on relevant case laws and explore the implications of the US Supreme Court's ruling. Introduction: The trademark territoriality doctrine is a well-established and recognized principle of...

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IPR NEWS – AUGUST

Siren Brew Faces Starbucks in Trademark Dispute In a recent legal clash, a coffee firm is engaged in a trademark dispute with Starbucks over the use of the "siren" logo. Atlanta-based Siren Brew faces allegations of trademark infringement from Starbucks, claiming that Siren Brew's logo too closely resembles Starbucks' iconic siren imagery. The lawsuit, filed on August 17, 2023, asserts that the similarities could cause confusion among consumers, potentially leading them to associate Siren Brew's products with Starbucks. Siren Brew, known for its specialty coffees, contests the claims and argues that their logo is distinct enough to avoid confusion. Legal experts...

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IPR AND WHITE COLLAR CRIME

IPR AND WHITE COLLAR CRIME

N. Vignesh Kumaran Senior Associate & Patent Agent, Intellectual Property Practice IPR Intellectual property (IP) includes intangible creations of the human intellect, which can be an idea, invention, literary creation, unique name, business method, industrial process, chemical formula, and computer program. The IP is considered an important part of economic, social, and cultural development, laws have been created throughout the world to define and protect the rights of those who develop IP through patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets, and are enforced primarily through civil action and criminal prosecution. WHITE COLLAR CRIME White-collar crime is commonly known as financially motivated, nonviolent crime committed by businesses and government professionals.The...

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IPR NEWS – JULY

Overstock to rebrand as Bed Bath & Beyond after buying brand's intellectual property In a transformative acquisition, online retail giant Overstock has revealed plans to undergo a complete rebranding, adopting the name of the renowned home goods retailer Bed Bath & Beyond after purchasing the brand's intellectual property. This strategic move aims to bolster Overstock's market position and broaden its product offerings. By aligning itself with Bed Bath & Beyond's well-established reputation for quality home essentials and leveraging its name recognition, Overstock seeks to tap into a loyal customer base and enhance its competitive edge in the retail sector. Barbie Vs BRBY Mattel...

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AI GENERATED ARTWORKS & COPYRIGHT

AI GENERATED ARTWORKS & COPYRIGHT

Jai Vignesh K Associate – Intellectual Property Rights Practice INTRODUCTION: Copyright safeguards the creative endeavours of individuals such as authors, musicians, historians, scientists, and dancers, among others, by granting them intellectual property rights. To be eligible for protection, the work must possess originality or present a fresh perspective on existing creations. As stated in TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights), copyright covers the expression of ideas but does not extend to ideas themselves, procedures, operational methods, or mathematical concepts in their raw form. There has always been controversy surrounding the idea of an artificial intelligence system producing any particular work of art. Critical...

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IPR NEWS – WEEKLY UPDATES FROM 6th NOV – 11th NOV

CONDE NAST v. DRAKE Conde Nast, the owner of Vogue magazine, on November 7 has filed a lawsuit against Drake and 21 Savage for using the Vogue trademark without authorization to promote their new album "Her Loss." Conde Nast claimed that the rappers' promotional campaign was "entirely" based on the unauthorized use of Vogue trademarks and false claims that they would appear on the magazine's upcoming cover with the "love and support" of longtime editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, including to their more than 135 million social media followers. Conde Nast said that the defendants also produced a fake issue of Vogue that...

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IPR NEWS – WEEKLY UPDATES FROM 30th OCT – 5th NOV

LOUIS VUITTON MALLETIER V. FUTURETIMES TECHNOLOGY INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED & ORS The Delhi High Court on November 3 has granted Louis Vuitton Malletier, a French luxury fashion brand, Rs. 20 lakhs in fees in its trademark infringement case against Club Factory, a Chinese e-commerce platform that was outlawed in India in 2021. Louis Vuitton's attorney informed the court on November 3 that the plaintiff only wishes to pursue costs in the case, despite the fact that the lawsuit was officially decided on March 24 when a permanent injunction was granted against the Chinese website and it was now scheduled for ex-parte...

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IPR NEWS – WEEKLY UPDATES FROM 16th OCT – 22nd OCT

K. N. GOVINDACHARYA  vs SECRETARY GENERAL & ORS On October 17, the Supreme Court issued notice in response to a petition asking for instructions to protect the Court's copyright over video recordings of court proceedings that are live-streamed on websites like YouTube. The application also aimed to stop live-stream material from being used for profit. In the application, it was requested that the live-streaming closely adhere to the ruling in Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC) v. Secretary General &Ors., (2018) 10 SCC 639. Justice Bela M. Trivedi and Chief Justice UU Lalit made up the panel that heard the...

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IPR NEWS – WEEKLY UPDATES FROM 9th OCT – 15th OCT

ALLERGAN INC AND ANR. v. CONTROLLER GENERAL OF PATENTS DESIGNS AND TRADE MARKS AND ANR. The Controller General of Patents, Designs, and Trademarks has received criticism from the Delhi High Court on October 12 for failing to notify the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization of the filing of two entities' opposition to the registration of international trademarks within the time frame required by the Trademarks Act. The order passed by the Controller General was contested by the two petitioners, who had filed oppositions in response to publication of the international registration of the trademarks. The petitioners made the...

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IPR NEWS – WEEKLY UPDATES FROM 2nd OCT – 8th OCT

QUALCOMM v. APPLE Despite the fact that the two tech titans' legal battle over three smartphone patents had been resolved, the U.S. Supreme Court on October 3, once more declined to consider Apple Inc.'s request to resurrect the case. In 2017, Qualcomm filed a lawsuit against Apple in federal court in San Diego, alleging that the company's iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches violated many mobile technology patents. The lawsuit concerned a larger international conflict between the two digital behemoths. At the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Apple contested the legality of the patents at...

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IPR NEWS – WEEKLY UPDATES FROM 25th SEP – 1st OCT

MYLAN PHARMACEUTICALS INC V. MERCK SHARP & DOHME CORP An U.S. appeals court ruled that a patent held by Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. for its diabetes medications Januvia and Janumet is valid, rejecting a challenge to the patent made by generic manufacturer Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. The Court did not agree with Viatris Inc.'s Mylan's argument that the invention was invalid because to an earlier patent and other publications. On September 29, the Federal Circuit concurred with the board that the patent was valid. It denied Mylan's claims that the earlier works Mylan identified would have rendered Merck's patent apparent. LIVE LAW...

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IPR NEWS – WEEKLY UPDATES FROM 18TH SEP – 24TH SEP

INDIAMART INTERMESH LIMITED v. MR SAMEER SAMIM KHAN  & Ors. The petitioner IndiaMart filed a suit for permanent injunction against the fraudulent website https://india-mart.co/ who was fraudulently offering jobs under the plaintiff’s name. The IndiaMart is a registered trademark and also the registered domain www.indiamart.com way back. The High Court observed that “Plaintiff has made out a prima facie case for ex parte ad interim injunction. Balance of convenience lies in favour of the Plaintiff. If the activities of Defendant are not nipped in the bud, irreparable injury would be caused not only to the Plaintiff, but also to public at...

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IPR NEWS – WEEKLY UPDATES FROM 11TH SEP – 17TH SEP

DIPALI SIKAND AND ORS v. SAMSUNG INDIA ELECTRONIC PRIVATE LIMITED AND ANR. A temporary injunction prohibiting Samsung India and one Story Experiences from using the trademark "CONCIERGE," which is being used by the Concierge conglomerate made up of Lesconcierges Services Pvt. Ltd. and Club Concierge Services (India) Pvt. Ltd., was issued by a civil court in Bengaluru on September 13th. Dipali Sikand, the founder of the plaintiff company, asserts ownership of the "CONCIERGE" trademark from May 2016.According to the claim, the plaintiff company created the 'President Club' loyalty programme for Samsung as part of the 'CONCIERGE' service with the intention of...

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IPR NEWS – WEEKLY UPDATES FROM 28TH AUG – 3RD SEP

SONY MUSIC INITIATES COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT AND BREACH OF CONTRACT LAWSUIT AGAINST TRILLER Sony sued the platform seeking damages as the application failed to pay the license fees agreed upon back in March 2022 after which it considered that their deal was terminated. Whereas, the platform still allowed sharing of music owned by Sony in the Application which Sony claims to have contributed to Copyright infringement. It is pertinent to mention here that the platform has already been in disputes especially in relation to payments and licenses, with a number of companies including the Universal group. GI REGISTRATION OF KASHMIR NAMDA AND GABBA...

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IPR NEWS – WEEKLY UPDATES FROM 21ST AUG – 26TH AUG

ALLAHABAD LAW AGENCY V. AMAZON RETAIL INDIA PVT. LTD. & ORS The plaintiff is a book publishing company and had filed a lawsuit seeking permanent injunction against third party sellers in the e-commerce website of the defendant. The plaintiff alleged that pirated versions of the book, “the Law of Torts by Dr. R.K. Bangia”, was being sold in the e-commerce website by many sellers thereby committing copyright infringement. The plaintiff had claimed that the copyright of the book was bought by them from the author by an assignment deed executed in August, 1968 and after the death of the author, the...

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IPR NEWS – WEEKLY UPDATES FROM 14TH AUG – 20TH AUG

FLIPKART INTERNET PRIVATE LTD. v. STATE OF NCT OF DELHI & ANR. The respondent company Sanash Impex Pvt. Ltd have procured the authorized rights to sell the cosmetic products of a Czech based company ‘DC DERMACOL’ in India . A FIR was filed against Flipkart by the complainant for trademark infringement of their mark ‘DC DERMACOL’ by unauthorized resellers who were selling fake products in Flipkart and Amazon. The complainant also alleged that this act was committed by them in collaboration and connivance with Flipkart, thereby accusing Flipkart of enabling the sale of fake DC DERMACOL cosmetics and charging the resellers...

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Doctrine of Fair Dealing in Indian Copyright Law

Doctrine of Fair Dealing in Indian Copyright Law

By Jai Vignesh K, Associate, IP Practice Introduction:             Copyright is a branch of law that grants the creators (writers, musicians, artists and other creators) protection over their works. The Copyright Act defines it as an exclusive right to do or authorize others to do certain acts in relation to original, literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, cinematograph film and sound recording including computer program. It gives the holder some exclusive rights to control reproduction of works of authorship, such as books, music, paintings, songs, movies for a certain period of time. The object of copyright is to protect the author of...

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IPR NEWS – WEEKLY UPDATES FROM 7TH AUG-13TH AUG

DFM FOODS LIMITED v. CHANDEL STORE & ORS. The plaintiff is the owner of the registered trademark of 'CRAX CURLS' and 'CURLS' which is a type of corn-based snack launched in December 2016. The plaintiff alleged that the defendant even though changed their trademark from ‘CURLS’ TO ‘KURVY’, the packaging of the same, both before and after name change is deceptively similar with that of the plaintiffs. The Court held that the plaintiff has prima facie case in their favor because customers can easily be confused and cheated since the goods are of low price. Therefore, restrained the defendant from using...

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IPR NEWS – WEEKLY UPDATES FROM 1ST AUG-6TH AUG

Special drive for disposal of IP Disputes Marking the 75th anniversary of India's independence the Government of India has launched the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'. As a part of the same, the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks has taken an initiative to run a special drive for disposal of IP disputes wherein parties are encouraged to dispose pending opposition and rectification cases and parties who have already settled their cases amicably are called upon to report to the same to the Registry of Trademarks. The public notice also states that parties are encouraged to settle...

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IPR NEWS – WEEKLY UPDATES FROM 17TH JULY- 23RD JULY

Marico Limited vs Dabur India Limited The Petitioner initiated a suit for infringement and disparagement in relation to the advertisement published by Dabur in various newspapers containing a disclaimer that implies that the Device/ Label mark of ‘Nihar’ which is a part of their advertisement belongs to the petitioner. It is therefore evident that the respondent was aware that the petitioner owns the particular mark. The petitioner claims that the pictorial impact of the advertisements demeans and disparages the petitioner's product and the comparison between the products conveying to the audience that the product of the petitioner is ineffective has amounted...

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IPR NEWS – WEEKLY UPDATES FROM 11TH JULY- 16TH JULY

Franco Indian Pharmaceuticals vs Vatican Lifesciences Private On July 12, 2022, the High Court of Bombay held that in the case of rival marks where they are phonetically, structurally, aurally, and visually similar; in such a way that a mere cursory look at the rival marks brings out the overwhelming similarity in such a way that'll lead to the likelihood of confusion and deception amongst members of the trade and public at large, a high degree of protection is required. The plaintiff is the registered proprietor of the marks “GLEAM’’, “GLEAM 1” and “GLEAM-2”. And defendants are the owner of the...

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Weekly IP News Report – 1st Week of July (01-Jul-2022 to 10-Jul-2022)

PS5 comes up with a new patent that can show the players “what if” scenarios based on choices they didn’t make This patent discloses what is basically a “what if” function, which could provide the players of the PS5 the ability to not only examine replays of their gaming but also view different varieties of outcomes that might have happened if they had made a different choice throughout the game. The technique of the interface involves providing the opportunity to pick at least one of the What-If scenarios from among the available possibilities. This option paves the way to a modification...

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IP NEWS UPDATES -MAY 2022

USPTO To Begin Issuing Electronic Trademark Registration Certificates On 2nd May, the USPTO announced via federal notice that, on June 7, 2022, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will start issuing electronic certificates of trademark registration. The electronic registration certificate will serve as the official registration certificate once it is issued. Trademark owners will have the choice to obtain paper "presentation" copies when the USPTO starts distributing electronic registration certificates, although doing so will carry a price. The ability to purchase certified copies of their trademark registrations will also be available. The Supreme Court's Effort to Resolve the Date on Section...

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IP NEWS WEEKLY UPDATE – 30 JUNE 2022

India’s key achievements related to patent filings: The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry announced the key achievements that the country has been performing in relation to patent filings. The domestic patent filing has surpassed the international patent filing between the period of January to March 2022, which is the first time in 11 years. Further, there has been nearly five times increase in the grant of patents in 2021-22 as compared to the year 2014-15. Another key achievement by the patent office is that there has been a reduction in time of patent examination from 72 months as of Dec...

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IPR Challenges in the Metaverse

IPR Challenges in the Metaverse

Metaverse, to many is that enigma where the demarcation boundaries between the virtual and real get blurred. It is the coming together of virtual reality and augmented reality. Metaverse presents a world of boundless potential. You may take virtual trips, live an ‘imagined’ life through digital avatars or trade in digital assets. You can own a Raja Ravi Varman painting or a Thor’s hammer in metaverse. In short, metaverse is the virtual extension of our real world. Why is Metaverse Important? The importance of Metaverse extends not only to personal experiences but also commercial viability. Brands now can offer you a ‘lived...

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IP NEWS WEEKLY UPDATE – 14 FEB 2022

Major companies including McDonald’s filing Trademark Applications for the Metaverse Various major companies including Nike and Walmart had filed Trademark applications for virtual goods and services in the Metaverse. Presently, McD has filed for the registration of its marks in relation to virtual goods, services and even virtual restaurants and cafes hinting its entry into virtual reality through Metaverse. The company has also applied for marks in relation to on-line actual, virtual concerts and other entertainment services within the virtual McCafe. Panera Breads is another company that has joined the list of applicants for registration of trademarks in relation to Meta....

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Intellectual Property Rights in Mobile Apps

N. Vignesh Kumaran B.E. Associate - Patents, Intellectual Property Practice Introduction A mobile app is a computer program designed to run on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. Mobile apps are a significant part of modern day-to-day businesses. It acts as the part of businesses to be a complete model for business. Mobile apps have taken over the rapidly evolving technology. Intellectual Property is involved in mobile applications and there are various instances where replication can cause serious damage to the company. The effective way is to strategize the Intellectual Property Right of companies. IPR in Mobile Apps can be protected Yes, different...

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IP NEWS WEEKLY UPDATE – 25 JAN 2022

Huawei’s Trademark applications for ‘Petal Search’ rejected The company had applied for the Trademarks ‘PETAL SEARCH’ in relation to search engine services and providing localized search services based on user search habits. The search engine was launched back in 2020 and applications for the registration of the trademarks was filed in 2021. The applications were initially rejected on the basis that there were similar marks which were already registered, containing the term ‘PETAL’ in relation to identical services, following which the company had applied for re- examination which has again resulted in rejection stating that the similarities in the cited marks...

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IP NEWS WEEKLY UPDATE – 12 JAN 2022

AWS Music marks opposed by Amazon Amazon Technologies Inc. is opposing the registration of the mark “AWS MUSIC” claiming that the consumers are likely to be confused, mistaken, or deceived into believing that the goods offered under the newly applied AWS MUSIC mark are in some way endorsed by Amazon. It is also claimed by the Opponent that the company is the owner of 50 domestic registrations and pending trademark applications for its AWS Marks, covering a wide-range of goods and services and because of the company’s prior adoption and continuous use of the marks since 2002 and its substantial investment in...

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IP NEWS WEEKLY UPDATE – 30 OCT 2021

Delhi High Court extends the deadline to submit comments on Delhi High Court Intellectual Property Rights Division Rules, 2021 The Hon’ble Chief Justice of Delhi High Court had announced the creation and functioning of a separate Intellectual Property Division which would solely deal with the IP matters in July, 2021. On 8 October, 2021, the Delhi HC had circulated the IPD Rules, 2021 among the members of the bar for their suggestions and recommendations. The Delhi High Court Registry has announced an extension for submitting suggestions and comments on the proposed rules. As per this, the new deadline stands as November...

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IP NEWS WEEKLY UPDATE – 26 OCT 2021

IPR News update template - 26 Oct

YouTube content strikes misuse of Copyright laws in India, claims Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) The Indian Internet Freedom Foundation made a representation to Google India with relation to the recent rising number of YouTube Channel blocks in the country and claims that one major reason for content takedowns is due to weaponization of Copyright legislations and rules of the country by large media houses targeting individual content creators and channels. It was also stated that YouTube being one of the most primary platform of development for such individuals and channels, such measures by large media houses infringes the fundamental right to...

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IP NEWS WEEKLY UPDATE – 6 SEP 2021

IPR News update template - 6 Sep

Zed Lifestyle Pvt. Ltd. Vs. Hardhik Mukeshbhai Pansheriya The Plaintiff holds 18 registrations for the mark ‘BEARDO’ inclusive of Class 3. The Defendant holds registrations in Class 7 and 11 for the identical mark ‘BEARDO’ to which rectification proceedings are pending before the Trade Marks Registry. The Plaintiff has successfully satisfied the criteria envisaged under Section 29(4)  of the Trade Marks Act, 1999 by virtue of which an injunction order was passed restraining the Defendants from using the impugned mark as it is or in conjunction with any other figure or manner. The Delhi High Court further ordered the Defendants to...

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