India: Patent

The recent judicial determination in the PISCO geographical indication dispute examines whether Peru can claim exclusive rights to the standalone term 'PISCO' for its alcoholic beverage, or whether both Peru and Chile's long-standing use of the term necessitates geographical qualifiers to prevent consumer confusion.

Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) were once a niche topic for telecom specialists. With 5G, IoT devices, connected cars, smart meters and even “smart” fans in Indian homes, SEP and FRAND disputes...

The Calcutta High Court has ruled that Graphic User Interfaces (GUIs) qualify as protectable designs under India's Designs Act, 2000, rejecting the Controller's narrow interpretation that excluded digital interfaces from registration. The landmark decision establishes that GUIs reflect creative aesthetic choices in visual elements like icons, menus, and color palettes that can be judged by the eye, and clarifies that the term 'article' requires broad interpretation...

In 2026, innovation is no longer defined only by technological capability. It is defined by the ability to commercialise safely, scale confidently, and attract capital without legal disruption.

India has significantly strengthened its IP ecosystem, with over one lakh patents granted between March 2023 and March 2024.

An idea that was once thought of as nothing more than a dream (a physique for a high speed, modern form of travel) is now becoming more and more real every day.

Digital innovation is moving more quickly than ever before. The Cloud, Generative Artificial Intelligence, Platform Commerce, and Globally Integrated Supply Chains all provide ways to scale inventions and create works across jurisdictions virtually instantaneously.

What happens when a patent fails to meet the required legal standards? Understanding the intricacies of patent revocation...

The decision reiterates settled principles relating to claim construction and provides guidance on how specifications may influence the interpretation of patent claims, particularly in pharmaceutical patents.