Tag: Madras High Court

In India, the law provides for formal opposition to a trademark application only after it is advertised, but can a third party intervene even during the pre-advertisement stage?...

In a recent decision, the Madras High Court has clarified the scope of exclusion from patentability under Section 3(i) of the Indian Patents Act, 1970, pertaining to methods of treatment for animals, among other things. ......

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. ......

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. ......

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. ......

Filing a patent in your home jurisdiction is merely the beginning of building a patent portfolio. Depending on the subject matter of the patent, and the business model, it would be strategic to also file related patents abroad. ......

In an important judgment by the Madras High Court delivered on December 15, 2021, the Court explained the circumstances under which an aggrieved party is entitled to compensatory damages and restitutionary damages, respectively. ......

Design marking is a method used by proprietors to signal that their article is protected by design rights. It entails “marking” an article in a manner that informs the public at large that the article in question is the subject matter of a registered design. The issue of whether design marking is necessary or not has come up on occasion before Indian courts, who have tackled how such marking acts as an indicator of registration, and explained the rights that follow. ......

There are several ways in which evidence can be gathered in intellectual property (IP) suits, including through discoveries and cross examinations. Discovery takes place pre-trial, where parties can exchange information regarding the evidence and witnesses to be presented to the court. ......