Author name: Aparajita Lath

Aparajita is an Assistant Professor at the National Law School of India, Bangalore. She graduated from the National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata and Harvard Law School (LL.M). She has worked at AZB & Partners and Trilegal. She was also a Student Fellow at the Petrie-Flom Centre at Harvard Law School.

NSE v. Moneywise.com defamation case: examining the new legal standards

/ By / Others

In an attempt to moderate the skewed power and resource balance between individual journalists/bloggers and powerful corporations (characteristic of SLAPP litigation), in relation to defamation lawsuits, the Bombay High Court through its decision in the NSE v. Moneywise Media Pvt. Ltd. case has titled the balance slightly in favour of journalists/bloggers. Though this decision has already been stayed, the standards it sets are significant to examine with respect to civil defamation. Our blog too has faced SLAPP suits: Shamnad’s Natco […]

NSE v. Moneywise.com defamation case: examining the new legal standards Read More »

Ooty Varkey: A cup of tea, cookies and a GI tag?

/ By / Geographical Indication

From Haleem to laddus and rasgullas, the baked buttery bites from Ooty are new entrants to GI related scrutiny in India. The Ooty Varkey Producers Welfare Association has filed an application for registration of a Geographical Indication for the ‘Ooty Varkey’ biscuits (here). As claimed, the Ooty Varkey is a biscuit unique to the Nilgiri District and its manufacture is traced to the British era. The Association claims that these biscuits deserve GI protection because they are unique to the

Ooty Varkey: A cup of tea, cookies and a GI tag? Read More »

Guest Post: IP conferences, judges & ethics: A presumption of bias?

/ By / Others

Prashant Reddy has for our readers a very well worded post which addresses the issue of the general perception that judges may become bias after attending industry sponsored conferences, in a very perceptive manner. His observation of this issue provides an alternate view to an earlier post on the same issue here. Prashant is an independent IP consultant. He was an integral part of SpicyIP for many years and is a prolific writer! IP Conferences, judges & ethics: A presumption of

Guest Post: IP conferences, judges & ethics: A presumption of bias? Read More »

Guest Post: Delhi HC: Officer’s Special and Collector’s Choice Deceptively Similar to Officer’s Choice

/ By / Trademark

 We have for our readers a guest post by Ritvik Kulkarni. Ritvik is a third year law student, studying at ILS, Pune. He has written for us previously here.  Delhi HC: Officer’s Special and Collector’s Choice Deceptively Similar to Officer’s Choice    By Ritvik Kulkarni  In the battle brewing between whiskey manufactures, the proprietor of the mark “Officer’s Choice” has emerged a victorious. The Delhi High Court has vide its order dated 6th July 2015 dismissed the appeals of the proprietors

Guest Post: Delhi HC: Officer’s Special and Collector’s Choice Deceptively Similar to Officer’s Choice Read More »

Guest Post: The Delhi High Court has its Hands Tied: Writ Concerning Divisional Patent Applications

/ By / Patent

We have for our readers a guest post by Ritvik Kulkarni. Ritvik is a third year law student, studying at ILS, Pune. In this blog post he examines a recent writ petition filed by the Delhi Network of Positive People (DNPP) in relation to the abusive practice of filing divisional patent applications and their impact on access to medicine.   The Delhi High Court has its Hands Tied: Writ Concerning Divisional Patent Applications By Ritvik Kulkarni Recently, through a writ petition before the Delhi

Guest Post: The Delhi High Court has its Hands Tied: Writ Concerning Divisional Patent Applications Read More »

VIT University Trademark Dispute: A rose is a rose?

/ By / Trademark

Recently, the Madras High Court granted an interim injunction restraining Vivekananda Institute of Technology from using the acronym ‘VIT’ in relation to its engineering colleges. Since Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, was the prior registered owner of the mark VIT for education, training, sports etc, and the mark was held to be a well known mark, the question the court had to decide was whether the defendant could be allowed to ‘VIT’ for their educational institutions set up in Jaipur.

VIT University Trademark Dispute: A rose is a rose? Read More »

Eureka Forbes and Hindustan Unilever: Water purification patent pitter-patter

/ By / Patent

A few days ago, as reported by the Financial Express, the Chennai patent office rejected a patent application filed by Eureka Forbes for its ‘iron removal water purifier’ after a pre grant opposition filed by Hindustan Unilever Ltd. Hindustan Unilever argued that “the usage of ion exchange resin for the removal of iron as well as its usage in gravity water filters is well known in prior art.” Moreover, as reported, Hindustan Unilever contended that Eureka Forbes had failed to

Eureka Forbes and Hindustan Unilever: Water purification patent pitter-patter Read More »

Who is going to be the G.I. Joe that will save the vanishing Indian GIs?

/ By / Geographical Indication

A few days ago the Hindu published a telling editorial written by Justice Prabha Sridevan, former judge of the Madras High Court and former Chairperson of the IPAB. The lucid editorial highlights the need for India to concentrate not just on patents and other mainstream IP rights but also bring back Geographical Indications (GIs) into the foreground of debate. This is specially true for India, as she rightly remarks “Practically everything that we grow, make or produce is linked to

Who is going to be the G.I. Joe that will save the vanishing Indian GIs? Read More »

SpicyIP Tidbit: Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance launches a new website

/ By / Others

The Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) that represents researched based national pharmaceutical companies recently launched its website: http://www.ipa-india.org. As Mr. D G Shah, Secretary General, IPA states “The website provides plenty of information and data on diverse subjects.  Be it pricing, patents, drug regulatory regime or role and contribution of the national pharmaceutical industry to the economy.  It shares IPA presentations at various fora and position papers on many subjects.  Its rich content will help you to source various information related

SpicyIP Tidbit: Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance launches a new website Read More »

SpicyIP Tidbit: HUL proposes inclusion of IPR in school syllabus

/ By / Trademark

“I don’t understand maths. But still, I made an effort to wake up at 5.30 a.m. every morning to solve maths problems, but to no use. I feel these problems are not at all relevant and useful”, a high school student in Karnataka frankly admitted this in his SSLC answer sheet, as reported yesterday in the Hindu. Various other answers such as chicken curry recipes, heartfelt appeals for pass marks are also apparently common place in math exams. Though these

SpicyIP Tidbit: HUL proposes inclusion of IPR in school syllabus Read More »

Scroll to Top