Geographical Indication

A Terrorization of the Terroir

/ By / Geographical Indication

As climate change alters the taste, texture, and viability of iconic regional crops, the very idea of terroir is under strain. This raises a pressing legal question: when geography changes, can Geographical Indicators afford to remain static? Responding to this question, in his submission for the SpicyIP jhana Blogpost Competition, Rudra Pandey proposes solutions to the Indian GI regime. Rudra is a B.A. LL.B (Hons.) student at Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala. He describes himself as “a part-time law […]

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A Look Back at India’s Top IP Developments of 2025

/ By / Competition Law, Copyright, Data Exclusivity, Design, Drug Regulation, Geographical Indication, Innovation, Patent, Plant Variety Protection, Podcast, Trade Secret, Trademark

[This post is completely human authored 🙂 These humans include – Praharsh Gour, Vasundra Koul, Arshiya Gupta, and Vikram Raj Nanda. Selection and Supervision by- Praharsh Gour, Swaraj Paul Barooah, and Bharathwaj RamakrishnanResearch Inputs from Yohann Titus Mathew, Riddhi Yogesh Bhutada, Ayush Shetty, Sumit Kumar Singh, Shailraj Jhalnia, Himanshu Mishra, Bhavya Gupta, Aali Jaiswal, Anushka Kanabar, Srishti Gaur, Arshya Wadhwa, and Daanish Naithani.] 2025 was quite an eventful year. On the judicial side, we saw a variety of novel developments, such

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SpicyIP Weekly Review (November 24-November 30)

/ By / Copyright, Geographical Indication, Opportunities, Others, Patent, Trademark

India’s first scent trademark has been headline of the week – two posts discussing the development. A critical analysis of the Draft GI Logo Guidelines. And Episode 2 of “Let’s IPsa Loquitur” is up with Sonisha Srinivasan speaking to Dr Zakir Thomas. This and much more in this week’s SpicyIP Weekly Review. Anything we are missing out on? Drop a comment below to let us know.  Highlights of the Week Let’s IPsa Loquitur: Dr. Zakir Thomas on Copyright, AI, Technology

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Draft GI Logo Guidelines Risk Diluting Producer Rights: A Critical Analysis

/ By / Geographical Indication

The Draft Guidelines on GI and GI Logo Usage promise greater clarity and standardisation, yet they introduce changes that could fundamentally weaken GI protection in India. Dr. Anson CJ explains that by broadening who can use GI names and logos, the draft shifts power away from actual producers and towards intermediaries. Noting the issues with the guidelines, he explains the need for a Producer-First Framework and suggests recommendations to re-centre the guidelines around the Actual GI Producer. Dr. Anson is

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Lessons from APEDA’s Basmati GI-TM Defeat in Kenya

/ By / Geographical Indication, Trademark

The recent decision of the Court of Appeal of Kenya rejecting APEDA’s challenge to several ‘Basmati’ trademarks marks the latest chapter in a long-running cross-border dispute over geographical indications. Vikram Raj Nanda highlights how the ruling brings to the forefront key questions on the territoriality of IP rights and the boundaries between GI and trademark protection. Vikram Raj Nanda is a third year student at National Law School of India University, Bengaluru with a keen interest in IP law, Competition

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SpicyIP Weekly Review (July 14-July 20)

/ By / Copyright, Geographical Indication, Patent, Trademark

DHC’s recent decisions on the Pisco GI Tag, comments on the draft CRI guidelines, DHC’s decision putting a stay on a judgement directing Amazon to pay ₹339 crore in damages and costs- This and much more in our weekly roundup of our blog posts, case summaries, and top IP developments in the country and the world. Anything we are missing out on? Drop a comment below to let us know. Highlights of the Week GI Protection in High Spirits in

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GI Protection in High Spirits in the Chile-Peru Pisco Saga

/ By / Geographical Indication, Others

Times are spicy for GI cases! After the Prada-Kolhapuri Chappal GI fiasco, we present to you, the Delhi High Court’s (“the Court”) judgment in Asociacion De Productores De Pisco A.G vs Union of India. At the centre here is Pisco, a popular grape brandy produced using unique methods in Chile and Peru for over five centuries. The challenge was brought by an association of Chilean Pisco producers, to an order passed by the IPAB in November 2018 in favor of

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The Devil Wears Kolhapuri or Prada? Understanding GI Law, Cultural Appropriation & More

/ By / Geographical Indication, Others

This article has been co-authored with Shikhar Aggarwal, a lawyer based in Delhi. The recently unveiled Prada Spring/Summer 2026 collection made headlines in India for all the wrong reasons. While “plagiarism” in fashion is not uncommon domestically and internationally, this instance brought focus to a GI-tagged product – the humble Kolhapuri Chappals. Traditionally handcrafted with a unique toe-loop design, Kolhapuri Chappals are sold by footwear shops across India for as low as Rs.100-200 per pair. They are produced in the

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Chalo Delhi! Office of CGPDTM Moves to New Delhi

/ By / Copyright, Geographical Indication, Patent, Trademark

CGPDTM has a new address- New Delhi. Ten days ago, the plan to shift the office from Mumbai to New Delhi, and the consequent social media spat between the Commerce Minister and Aditya Thackeray were in the news. After clarification by the Commerce Minister on his social media account and a round of political banter, discussed here, the Ministry of Commerce has published a short notification announcing that the headquarters of the CGPDTM along with the Establishment and Finance Division has been

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SpicyIP 2024 Year End Review

A Look Back at India’s Top IP Developments of 2024

/ By / Biological Diversity, Competition Law, Copyright, Geographical Indication, Innovation, Others, Patent, Plant Variety Protection, Privacy, Trade Secret, Trademark, Traditional Knowledge

[This post is authored by – Bharathwaj Ramakrishnan, Md. Sabeeh Ahmad, Aishani Chatterjee, Swaraj Barooah, and Praharsh Gour with research inputs from Aarav Gupta, Tejas Misra, Aditi Bansal, Mansi Bhatia, Yukta Chordia, Bhuwan Sarine, Shravya Pandre, Deepali Vashist, and Malavika S. Nair.] 2024 has been an explosive year for IP developments in India, with more IP divisions coming up in different High Courts, an increasing number of IP registrations and an overall higher degree of attention on IP issues in

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