DHC’s First: Does a Species (Automatically) Anticipate Genus?

/ By / Patent

Since Novartis v. UOI (2013), a growing litany of cases relating to genus-species patent have been decided by various HCs of the country. Post Novartis, a consistent (and contentious) issue has been whether a later species patent stood disclosed and, thus, priorly claimed in the prior genus patent u/s. 64(1)(a). However, the recent decision of the DHC in FMC Corporation v. Natco raises the inverse issue- does a prior species patent anticipate a later genus patent u/s. 64(1)(a)? This question, in my research, has not been previously decided by Indian Courts.  Facts Unlike previous genus-species […]

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SpicyIP Bells & Whistles: IP Events and Opportunities (01.12.2025)

/ By / Courses & Workshops, Opportunities

Welcome back to another week of Bells & Whistles! We’re kicking things off with exciting news for the moot community — DPIIT (through CIPAM) has released the International IP Moot Court Funding Guidelines, 2025. This long-awaited framework aims to support Indian teams competing in global IP moots, easing financial hurdles and encouraging broader participation. Thahir has broken down the key highlights and what this means for students in his latest post — do check it out on the SpicyIP blog post! Bell

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Don’t Look to the United States: They See ‘Smell’ Differently!

/ By / Trademark

Adding to the discussion on India’s first smell mark registration, Shama Mahajan explains how the reliance placed by the Indian Trademark Registry on foreign precedents, especially the United States, is misconstrued. Shama is an LL.M Candidate at the National University of Singapore, pursuing her masters in Intellectual Property and Technology Law. Don’t Look to the United States: They See ‘Smell’ Differently! By Shama Mahajan Indian Trade Mark Registry has granted its first smell mark, for advertisement — “Floral Fragrance/Smell Reminiscent

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DPIIT releases Funding Guidelines for International IP Moot Court Competitions!

/ By / Copyright, Opportunities, Patent, Trademark

[This post is authored by Mohamed Thahir Sulaiman. Thahir is a third year BALLB (Hons) student from the National Law School of India University, with interests in corporate law and technology law. His previous posts can be accessed here.] In an exciting development for students participating in international IP moot court competitions, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), through its CIPAM Cell, has officially rolled out the International IP Moot Court Funding Guidelines (IIMCFG) 2025. This follows

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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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IUCIPRS Panel Discussion: Implications of Data Exclusivity on Access to Medicines and the Pharmaceutical Industry

/ By / Patent

Inter-University Centre for IPR Studies (IUCIPRS), CUSAT is organising a hybrid webinar on “Panel Discussion on the Implications of Data Exclusivity on Access to Medicines and the Pharmaceutical Industry” on December 1, 2025, at IUCIPRS and via Google Meet virtual room. The Moderator for the session will be Mr. Gopakumar K. M., and the Panelists will be Prof. (Dr.) Biswajit Dhar and Ms. Chetali Rao.   Details of the Press Release are below: Background of the Panel Discussion Data exclusivity

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[SpicyIP Tidbit] Clean Hands versus Relevant Facts – The Tale of Injunctions

/ By / Trademark

[This post is authored by Mohamed Thahir Sulaiman. Thahir is a third year BALLB (Hons) student from the National Law School of India University, with interests in corporate law and technology law. His previous posts can be accessed here.] The division bench of the Delhi High Court (“DHC”) recently refused to grant an interim injunction to Quantum Hi-Tech in a trademark infringement matter, despite finding a prima facie case of infringement of its mark “Quantum” by LG. The ruling is

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Stuck in the US Trade Standoff: Thinking About Cross-Retaliation?

/ By / Others

In light of US tariffs on Indian imports hitting unprecedented levels, how far can India go in responding to these steep measures? Exploring cross-retaliation as a possible response, Srishti Gaur explains the concept and assesses its feasibility. Srishti is a third-year student at National Law University, Delhi. Stuck in the US Trade Standoff: Thinking About Cross-Retaliation? By Srishti Gaur At a time when tariffs on US imports from India reached a staggering 50%, India found itself in a high-stakes conflict

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Written Submission Template for the 1st National Policy Brief Competition on Intellectual Property & Innovation 2025

/ By / Opportunities

The registration for the 1st National Policy Brief Competition on Intellectual Property & Innovation 2025 by SpicyIP and CIPAM, DPIIT, is in full swing, with multiple teams signing up each day. We’ve received an outstanding response, with 75+ teams having registered so far. Since the announcement of the competition, we have received a couple of emails enquiring about the structure of the written submissions and the output document. For the benefit of those who have already applied, as well as

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The Scent of the Sumitomo Trademark: What is the Celebration About?

/ By / Trademark

For the first time in Indian trademark history, an olfactory mark has been registered for rose-like smelling tyres. An application filed by Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (“Sumitomo”/ “the Applicant”) seeking registration of a trademark “Floral Fragrance/ Smell Reminiscent of Roses as Applied to Tyres” on a “proposed to be used basis” was accepted by the Trade Marks Registry in India last week. Interestingly, the application was also the first olfactory trademark registration in the UK back in 1996. As a

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