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January 27, 2025
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Are plant treatments to be treated as agriculture?: Ind...

The question of whether an invention for a method of treatment of plants is also a method of agriculture or horticulture, and therefore, excluded from patentability, has been laid to rest by multiple decisions of Indian high courts. This note discusses three recent cases from the Delhi and Calcutta High Courts, which discuss the applicability of Sections 3(h) and 3(i), and will significantly impact patent applications in this space. ... ...
January 21, 2025
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Essentially Biological Processes for Production of Plan...

Indian law excludes from patentability ‘essentially biological processes’ under Section 3(j) of the Patents Act, but does not explain what degree of human intervention can shift an invention away from being deemed ‘essentially biological’. A recent decision of the Madras High Court attempts an interpretation of this provision, highlighting also the importance of well reasoned orders from the patent office. ......
January 16, 2025
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In Perfect Time: When to file divisional applications

Divisional applications must be filed before the parent patent application is granted or rejected, but getting the timing right can be tricky, especially when it is not known as to when the grant or rejection will actually take place. A recent case from the Madras High Court offers insights as to when divisional applications must be filed in different scenarios. ......
May 24, 2024
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Patent non-disclosures turn out costly for Google in In...

False or incomplete disclosures can be costly - this follows from a recent decision of the Delhi High Court, where the global technology giant Google had to not just forgo its patent application for not meeting conditions of patentability, but also pay a fine for not providing complete and correct information of corresponding foreign filings in connection with the application. ......
February 15, 2024
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Patentability of Diagnostic Methods in India

Among the many exclusions to patentability, the Indian Patents Act, 1970 (“the Act”) also excludes “diagnostic methods” under Section 3(i). But the term itself has been applied inconsistently by the Indian Patent Office (“IPO”). This note discusses a recent decision of the Madras High Court on the interpretation of this term and its implications on related patent applications. ......
October 13, 2022
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Shrinking Space: Are Narrowed Patent Claims Valid Amend...

Much emphasis is placed in patent law on the importance of filing for protection as early as possible in the inventive process, in order to obtain necessary rights and benefits. But these applications are by no means set in stone. There is room to amend patent applications, and in India, amendments can be done both while an application is pending, and after a patent has been granted, subject to appropriate permissions from the Controller. ......
September 29, 2022
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Getting to Grant: Patent Prosecution in India

Patent prosecution is the centerpiece of the process of obtaining a patent. The proceedings during prosecution serve as important legal guidance on the patentability of the invention, and successful prosecution is key to ensuring that patent rights are protected. ......
August 29, 2022
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Fast Tracking through the Patent Prosecution Highway in...

Patents, like other forms of intellectual property, are jurisdiction specific. In other words, you obtain protection only in those jurisdictions where you have sought protection. The application process is long, and can stretch for months, or even years on end. While the end result, if successful, can be immensely satisfying and rewarding, the prospect of having to repeat this process in other countries can be quite overwhelming. ......
August 10, 2022
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Extraordinary exceptions to deadlines at the Indian Pat...

When hardcoded statutory deadlines are violated, can delays be condoned? This was the central question answered by the Delhi High Court in The European Union Represented by the European Commission vs. Union of India. The court allowed for an extension of a non-extendable statutory deadline in a patent matter because of the exceptional circumstances of the case. ......

Data Clean Rooms: The Future of Privacy-Compliant Data Collaboration

As organisations grapple with increasingly stringent privacy and data protection laws, the concept of the Data Clean Room (“DCR“) has emerged as a transformative solution that enables collaboration without compromising compliance.

The power of transition phrases in Indian patent drafting: the ‘Frimline’ Ruli...

Transition phrases are crucial in patent drafting for they define the scope of a claim. Choosing the correct phrase can impact what rights an applicant can enforce, as determined by the Delhi High Court recently, in Frimline v. K-Smatco

Representations, Warranties and Covenants: What are the consequences of breach?

Representations, Warranties and Covenants clauses are included in all commercial contracts. Traditionally, the nomenclature has not been clearly delineated, and representation and warranties are grouped together in a manner that often led them to be viewed as synonymous terms.

Pharmacyclics Continues the Divisional Applications Debate in India

In 2024, the Indian Patent Office (“IPO”) issued the Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2024 (“Rules”), which, among other things, amended the rules relating to filing of divisional applications.

An Analysis of the Reserve Bank of India’s Master Direction on Regulation of Payment...

On September 15, 2025, the Reserve Bank of India ("RBI") issued the Master Direction on Regulation of Payment Aggregators, 2025 ("Master Direction"), a framework governing both bank and non-bank entities engaged in the business of payment aggregation ("Payment Aggregators" or "PA").

Removal of fetters on the Arbitration process: Arbitration is not foreclosed due to pendin...

The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 was enacted to facilitate expeditious and affordable resolution of disputes pertaining to in-personam rights arising out of contractual disputes between private parties.

Timing it Right: Delhi High Court on Pre-Grant Oppositions in India

What happens when a pre-grant opposition is filed after the Controller signs a patent application to grant? This knotty question was answered by the Delhi High Court in a recent case.

Navigating Share Transfer Restrictions in Shareholders’ Agreements Part 2

In our previous Article, we explored the foundational aspects of share transfer restrictions in shareholder agreements ("SHAs"), with a focus on concepts such as tag-along rights, drag-along rights, permitted and automatic transfers, amongst others and the interplay with the Companies Act, 2013 (the "Act").

Collection of Children’s Data under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act: Not Ch...

The protection of children's personal data has and continues to present regulatory and practical challenges for lawmakers, businesses, organisations, institutions and establishments that deal with personal data ("Data Fiduciary").

When “Ok” Becomes “Not Ok”: A cautionary tale of miscommunication from the Indian Patent O...

An important step during patent prosecution in India is the hearing. As the Indian Patent Office (IPO) tends to issue only a single examination report, hearings before the Controller are common.