Keep the ‘Technical’, Let’s Bring Consistency in 3(k)

/ By / Patent

Section 3(k) is one of the most curious provisions in the Indian Patents Act. A mere 13-word sub-section, 3(k) has today become a hot mess. Despite the release of CRI Guidelines in July 2025 (the fourth such iteration of the guidelines), 3(k) is none the fuzzier.  The actual scope of the words used in 3(k) continues to elude us.  Last week, the Delhi HC, in Blackberry v. Controller, had another opportunity to opine on patentability u/s. 3(k). The invention in question was a method to […]

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Zee v Nykaa: The $210,000 Worth Instagram Reels

/ By / Copyright

Zee Entertainment (“Zee”) approached the Delhi High Court to seek damages amounting INR 2 crores (approximately $210,000) from Nykaa for allegedly using copyrighted songs in their 12 Instagram reels (short form videos). But this is not a standalone tale of a music rights holder suing a brand for unlicensed use of its tracks in social media marketing – it is the familiar storyline across the globe – whether it be the Warner Music Group suing Iconic London Ltd. (USA) or Sony

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So Near, Yet So Far: A Look at India’s Vaccine Push Caught Between Promise and Policy

/ By / Patent

Disclaimer: This post discusses a development from mid-March 2026. As readers of this blog are no doubt aware, vaccine policy in India has never quite been a straight road. It is always puddled with poor transparency and poorer access. Two developments (one involving an international IP licensing arrangement for a Nipah vaccine, and the other concerning the curious sidelining of an indigenous HPV vaccine, both involving the Serum Institute of India (SII)) offer another opportunity to assess the state of

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Shamnad at 50: Still Lighting the Way

/ By / Others

About 7 and a half years ago, Shamnad had gone to Iran, as a guest lecturer in a workshop organised by their National IP Training Centre in collaboration with WIPO. There, he would also give what may have been his last recorded interview. And perhaps because the website was not in English, nor was the video uploaded directly to youtube, it appears very few people have had the pleasure of listening to it! Candid and free-flowing, (including, of course, discussions

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Looking for a FRANDly Precedent? DHC missteps in Malikie v. Xiaomi pro-tem order

/ By / Patent

A new dawn, and a new pro-tem order is out from the Delhi High Court. A short while ago I wondered if temporary deposit orders were here to stay, seems like the answer is yes! The Malikie v. Xiaomi pro-tem order is not the best news for the development of Indian SEP jurisprudence. It adds confusion to assessment of essentiality, nuances of rate calculation and shows the faults of finding reasonings in precedents where fact-sensitive analysis require different decisions. The

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Another brick in the wall for the Continuing Rights of Authors

/ By / Copyright, Others

In another articulation of the clear intent and purpose behind the copyright amendments that were brought in 2012, to economically enable intended beneficiaries of the copyright regime, i.e. the authors of the underlying works, the Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court has reaffirmed that irrespective of the musical and the literary works being embedded in a sound recording, at every exploitation of the said sound recording by a user, de hors it being show along with the film it

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Copyright Enforcement in the Gaming Industry: Key Takeaways from the University of Geneva’s 2026 IP Conference from an Indian Observer’s Perspective

/ By / Copyright, Design, Overlaps in IP, Trademark

As the global gaming industry evolves far beyond entertainment into a sophisticated IP ecosystem built on software, art, music, branding, and competitive digital economies, conversations on questions of classification, cloning, and enforcement are becoming increasingly relevant. Reflecting on his experience attending the University of Geneva’s 2026 IP conference, Dhritiraj Paul Choudhary explains how jurisdictions across the world are actively rethinking copyright enforcement and classification in response to the commercial and technological realities of modern gaming, while Indian copyright jurisprudence has

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When Fashion ‘MET’ Culture: But Saving Traditional Craft Takes More Than A Red Carpet Tribute!!

/ By / Geographical Indication

The spectacle of Indian craftsmanship at this year’s Met Gala has sparked renewed conversations around cultural pride, artisanal heritage, and fashion’s global fascination with “Indian-inspired” aesthetics. But beneath the celebratory rhetoric lies a more uncomfortable reality: the same industries and personalities being praised for honouring Indian craft are often entangled in systems that marginalise the very artisans they claim to celebrate. The recurring appropriation of traditional textiles and designs raises a deeper question: are these gestures genuine acts of preservation,

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SpicyIP Bells & Whistles: IP Events and Opportunities (11.05.2026)

/ By / Courses & Workshops, Others

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: The UDRP Some bells do not just chime, they emerge with entirely new spaces. This week’s bell is for the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, a mechanism that reshaped how trademark disputes are handled in the digital world.

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SpicyIP Weekly Review (May 4 – May 10)

/ By / Copyright, Others, Patent, Trademark

Into the second week of May with a post on the Bombay HC’s reliance on section 65 for setting aside a refusal of atomic energy patent. Another post examining the Academy’s control on the Oscar statuette that blurs the boundaries between contract, property, and IP law. Case summaries and IP developments from the country and the globe and much more in this week’s SpicyIP Weekly Review. Anything we are missing out on? Drop a comment below to let us know.

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