Let’s IPsa Loquitur: Dr. Zakir Thomas on Copyright, AI, Technology Sovereignty and Open Access

/ By / Copyright

In our 2nd episode of Let’s IPsa Loquitur, we present to you an interview with Dr. Zakir Thomas on Copyright, AI, Technology Sovereignty and Open Access. A retired IRS officer, Dr Thomas is also a former Copyright Registrar, as well as a former Project Director of CSIR’s Open Source Drug Discovery Project. (Full bio below) I met Dr. Zakir Thomas at the SpicyIP Summer School, where he was one of the organisers. He added immense value to the learning process by actively […]

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SpicyIP Weekly Review (November 17-November 23)

/ By / Copyright, Patent, Trademark

Here is a quick recap of the eventful week that we had. Last week, we announced the SpicyIP-jhana Blogpost Writing Competition 2025, an exciting opportunity for young IP enthusiasts to share their thoughts on the Indian IP landscape. We also had discussions on the Kenyan Court of Appeal decision refusing to reject a trademark application containing the term”Basmati” and the Delhi High Court DB’s order to pass an injunction against “Wow Burgers” holding the same to be deceptively similar to

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SpicyIP Bells & Whistles: IP Events and Opportunities (24.11.2025)

/ By / Others

Welcome back to another week of Bells & Whistles! This week, I’m excited to bring your attention to something special — the SpicyIP–Jhana Blogpost Competition!If you’ve been following an intriguing development in Indian IP and have an argument or insight you’re itching to explore, this is your chance to dive in. Research, think, write — and if your post uses Jhana’s platform as part of your analysis and gets published on SpicyIP, you’ll be eligible for a share of the ₹33,000 prize pool.

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SEPs are Decorative Acronyms in Indian Innovation Policies

/ By / Patent

Core SEP issues are missing from new and proposed Indian innovation policies that seem overly fixated on generating indigenous 6G SEPs with little concern on how they may be managed, litigated and leveraged for domestic economic growth. In this post I discuss why it would be well worth the effort to follow a procedure for mapping SEP issues with dedicated impact assessments before further similar policy decisions are made. Introduction The rules of the SEP ecosystem are, at the moment,

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Succession (The Goenka Family Version): Bombay High Court Affirms Indian Express’s Primacy in Trademark Dispute

/ By / Trademark

In its recent judgment, the Bombay High Court settled the long-running conflict over the New Indian Express mark by examining the parties’ 1995 and 2005 settlement agreements. The Court ultimately granted an injunction against Express Publications (Madurai) Pvt. Ltd., limiting its use of the mark to specified territories. Explaining the family feud and the Court’s decision, Vasundra Koul explains how the Court might have failed in its interpretation of trademark principles vis-à-vis a contractual agreement. Vasundra is a fourth-year student

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CHC vs DHC: A Split Over Second Appeals in Trademark Cases

/ By / Trademark

A long-standing procedural puzzle in trademark appellate practice has resurfaced, this time before the Calcutta High Court. In a decision dated 4 November 2025, the Court in Glorious Investment Limited v. Dunlop International Limited has held that no Letters Patent Appeal lies from a Single Judge’s order passed under Section 91 of the Trade Marks Act. Mohamed Thahir Sulaiman writes on the ruling, explaining how it has reopened questions of consistency across High Courts and may well require Supreme Court

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Can You Revoke an Expired Patent? Delhi High Court to Answer Soon

/ By / Others, Patent

The Division Bench (DB) of the Delhi High Court (DHC) has issued an order, observing prima facie, that a revocation petition against a patent whose statutory term has expired is not maintainable. DB has also appointed Senior Advocate Swathi Sukumar as amicus to assist the Court on this issue. This prima facie observation contradicts the position of the  Single Bench of DHC in Macleods Pharmaceuticals Ltd v. The Controller of Patents (previously covered here), which had concluded that a revocation

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Announcing the SpicyIP-jhana Blogpost Writing Competition 2025

/ By / Opportunities

In an exciting opportunity for young IP enthusiasts to showcase their writing and analytical skills, we’re thrilled to announce the SpicyIP–jhana Blogpost Writing Competition, 2025, organized in collaboration with jhana. As explained here, jhana is a platform and a tool for lawyers, offering access to legal datasets and AI assistants enabling legal research, review, and drafting. The competition will run for six weeks, starting today and ending on 30th December, during which shortlisted entries will be published on the blog

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Tying the Knot and Testing the Law: Musical Fair Use or Judicial Constraints?

/ By / Copyright

Highlighting the controversy surrounding demands for royalties for songs played during weddings, despite Section 52(1)(za), Rajesh Kumar and Akanksha Badika, using various principles of statutory interpretation, examine the legislative intent behind this provision and explain why such demands are not justified under the Copyright Act. Rajesh Kumar works as the Head of Legal and Akanksha Badika works as the Senior Legal Manager at Bhansali Productions, Mumbai (a film production house). Their practice predominantly revolves around copyright law, litigation and advising

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A Second Helping for Wow Momo: Delhi HC Serves Up a New Recipe for Trademark Protection

/ By / Trademark

The Delhi High Court Division Bench on October 16 set aside the single judge’s order, recognising that while ‘wow’ itself may be generic, the creative branding of “WOW + food-item” is protectable. Hafsah Azhar Ansari writes on the DB ruling, focusing on the Court’s finding on “idea infringement” and the implications of this ruling. Hafsah Azhar Ansari is a third year student at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad. A Second Helping for Wow Momo: Delhi HC Serves Up a New

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