After Crocs, After Carlsberg: Does Harpic v. Spic Finally Clear the Air?

/ By / Design, Trademark

Can trademark law be used to reclaim what design law has deliberately released into the public domain? Khushi Krishania writes on the Calcutta High Court’s recent Division Bench decision in the Harpic v. Spic dispute, explaining how it revisits this uneasy intersection, but ultimately leaves its most difficult questions unresolved.  Khushi is a third-year B.Sc. LL.B. (Hons.) {Cybersecurity} student at the National Law Institute University, Bhopal, with a particular interest in the intersection of copyright and data protection law. After Crocs, […]

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SpicyIP Weekly Review (March 30 – April 5)

/ By / Copyright, Design, Others, Patent, Trademark

Beginning April with a rundown of the major IP developments in 2025 on SpicyIP TV! Post on two recent Delhi High Court decisions in Geron and Hirotsu clarifying the boundaries of diagnostic methods exclusion. And another post on the UK Supreme Court’s decision in Emotional Perception AI Limited v Comptroller General of Patents marking a doctrinal shift in how subject-matter eligibility questions regarding computer programmes are evaluated. Case summaries and IP developments from the country and the globe and much

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SpicyIP Bells & Whistles: IP Events and Opportunities (06.04.2026)

/ By / Courses & Workshops, Opportunities

Welcome back to another week of Bells & Whistles. As always, we’ve rounded up a mix of developments, opportunities, and thoughtful reads from across the IP world along with a Bell of the Week that’s well worth revisiting. Bell of the Week: Margaret Boden Some bells do not just chime, they make you pause and ask what we really mean. This week’s bell is for Margaret A. Boden, whose work on creativity and artificial intelligence has shaped how we think about

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Diagnosing the Diagnostic Exclusion: Have Geron and Hirotsu Resolved the Delhi High Court’s Troubles?

/ By / Patent

Section 3(i) of the Patents Act has long left the boundaries of diagnostic method exclusions uncertain, despite repeated judicial engagement. Two recent Delhi High Court decisions now offer the clearest articulation yet, bringing much-needed coherence to this evolving area of law. Shubham Thakare and Arpanjot Kaur explain these orders, highlighting how they not only clarify the legal position but also sharpen the policy tensions underlying the provision. Shubham is a third-year B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) student at the National Law School

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The UKSC’s “Any Hardware” Shortcut: Why Emotional Perception AI Raises More Questions Than It Answers — And Why India’s Framework Does Better

/ By / Patent

The UK Supreme Court’s decision in Emotional Perception AI Limited v Comptroller General of Patents marks a doctrinal shift in how subject-matter eligibility questions regarding computer programmes are evaluated. Irrespective of its impact, Pragati argues that the judgment is marked by a test that the Supreme Court itself chose not to apply and further contains three errors of reasoning. Pragati Upadhyay is a final-year student at the Faculty of Law, Banaras Hindu University, with a research focus on the intersection

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A Course Correction That Wasn’t: The Balkrishna Order and the Persistence of Overbroad Personality Rights

/ By / Trademark

In the Acharya Balkrishna personality rights case, the Delhi High Court had an opportunity to rein in the overreach of personality rights. In this post, Shubham Thakare argues that rather than correcting course, the decision deepens an already concerning pattern of privileging reputational claims over free speech. Shubham is a third-year B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) student at the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, with an interest in copyright and trademark law. A Course Correction That Wasn’t: The Balkrishna Order

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SpicyIP Tidbit: When The Twist Beats The Script: Supreme Court Quashes Section 63 Proceedings Against Kahaani 2 Director

/ By / Copyright

In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court has quashed proceedings against Sujoy Ghosh in the Kahaani 2 dispute. Khushi Krishania writes on the Supreme Court order and explains how weak copyright infringement claims can spiral into unwarranted criminal proceedings. Khushi is a third-year B.Sc. LL.B. (Hons.) {Cybersecurity} student at the National Law Institute University, Bhopal, with a particular interest in the intersection of copyright and data protection law. SpicyIP Tidbit: When The Twist Beats The Script: Supreme Court Quashes Section

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Delay Enables Monopoly: How Inaction in the Opposition Proceedings at the Patent Office Undermines Access to Medicines

/ By / Patent

What happens when patent oppositions are filed, heard, but never decided? Highlighting the specific instances of prolonged delays at the Patent Office, Prathibha Sivasubramanian explains how administrative inaction is undermining a critical safeguard in patent law and how such delays can quietly enable monopolies and impact access to essential medicines. Prathibha Sivasubramanian is a Senior Researcher working with TWN. She has over a decade of experience in access to medicines, patents, and intellectual property. She has worked extensively on patent

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SpicyIP Bells & Whistles: IP Events and Opportunities (30.03.2025)

/ By / Courses & Workshops, Opportunities

Welcome back to another week of Bells & Whistles. As always, we’ve rounded up a mix of developments, opportunities, and thoughtful reads from across the IP world along with a Bell of the Week that’s well worth revisiting. Bell of the Week: Fair Dealing Some bells do not just chime, they make space. This week’s bell is for Fair Dealing, a provision within the Copyright Act that enables much of how we read, write, teach and engage with creative works. Unlike

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The GUI Verdict: A Celebration of Progress, or a Lament for Leadership?

/ By / Design

The Calcutta High Court’s decision in NEC Corporation marks a significant step forward for GUI design protection in India. However, beyond the celebration surrounding this development, Sachin Sharma points out that a more uncomfortable question remains—why did it take judicial intervention for this shift to occur at all? Sachin is an Associate Advocate at Sanghi & Co. An alumnus of NLU Delhi (LLM in IPR Law and Management), he is currently advancing his technical acumen through a BSc in Biotechnology.

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