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In The Chancellor, Masters & Scholars of the University of Oxford & Ors. v. Rameshwari Photocopy Services & Anr., the Delhi High Court ruled that reproducing copyrighted material for educational purposes, including creating course packs, does not constitute copyright infringement under Section 52(1)
The Delhi High Court in Ratna Sagar Private Limited v. Trisea Publications held that copyright protection extends to the originality in the presentation and expression of material, not just the underlying ideas or concepts. The court found substantial similarities between Ratna Sagar’s “LIVING SCIEN
The Diamond v. Chakraborty case marked a significant turning point in U.S. patent law, with the Supreme Court ruling that a genetically engineered bacterium is patentable under 35 U.S.C. 101. The decision affirmed that human-made living organisms, as products of human ingenuity, fall within the scop
In Najma Heptulla v. M/s. Orient Longman Ltd., the Delhi High Court ruled that both Maulana Azad and Prof. Kabir were joint authors of the book “India Wins Freedom” due to their intellectual collaboration. The court emphasized that authorship in copyright law involves both the provision of ideas and
In the case Shruti Agnihotri v. Anand Kumar Srivastava, the Allahabad High Court (Lucknow Bench) held that a marriage certificate is valid proof of a Hindu marriage only if the marriage ceremonies, including saptapadi, were duly performed. The Court found that the respondent failed to prove the marr
The Harvey v. Facey case underscores the significance of clear and explicit communication in forming contracts. In this 1893 decision by the Privy Council, the court ruled that Mr. Facey’s response to Mr. Harvey’s inquiry about purchasing property did not constitute a binding offer but merely provid
In Star India Pvt. Ltd. v. Piyush Agarwal & Ors., the Delhi High Court addressed the conflict between proprietary commercial rights and constitutional freedoms. The court ruled that while factual information cannot be copyrighted, exclusive rights to monetize real-time cricket match updates can be e
The case Akuate Internet Services Pvt. Ltd. v. Star India Pvt. Ltd. addressed the limits of copyright and the “Hot News” doctrine in India. The Delhi High Court ruled that Star India Pvt. Ltd.’s claims to exclusive rights over live match updates were invalid, as factual information cannot be copyrig
The Supreme Court in Harshad Chiman Lal Modi v. D.L.F. Universal Ltd. emphasized the primacy of territorial jurisdiction in cases involving immovable property. The Court held that the Delhi Court lacked jurisdiction to hear a suit for specific performance concerning property in Haryana, despite an e
The case of University of London Press v. University Tutorial Press Ltd ([1916] 2 CH 601) established that examination papers qualify as “original literary works” under copyright law. The court held that originality in copyright does not require novelty but involves skill, labor, and judgment in cre
In Donoghue v. Allied Newspapers Ltd. (1937), the UK High Court ruled that Steve Donoghue, who provided ideas and stories, did not own the copyright in articles written by journalist Mr. Felstead. The court held that copyright protection applies to the specific form of expression, not to the underly
In the case of Hawkins Cookers Ltd. v. Magicook Appliances Co. (2002), the Delhi High Court ruled in favor of Hawkins, affirming copyright infringement and passing off. The court found that Magicook’s labels and cookbooks were deceptively similar to Hawkins’ registered artistic works, leading to con
In Macmillan & Company Ltd. v. Cooper (1924), the Bombay High Court ruled that the unauthorized publication of an abridged version of a copyrighted work constitutes copyright infringement. The court upheld the trial court’s decision, emphasizing that even an abridged version, which requires signific
Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc., 510 U.S. 569 (1994), is a pivotal Supreme Court case that clarified the application of fair use in copyright law, particularly concerning parodies. The Court ruled that commercial purpose does not automatically negate fair use and that a parody can be transformati
The Bayer Corporation v. Union of India case emphasizes the legal framework for granting compulsory licenses under the Indian Patents Act, 1970, particularly to ensure that essential medicines are accessible at affordable prices. The Bombay High Court upheld the Controller’s decision to grant a comp
In Yash Raj Films Pvt Ltd v. Sri Sai Ganesh Productions (2019), the Delhi High Court ruled in favor of Yash Raj Films, finding that the Telugu remake “Jabardasth” was a substantial copy of the Bollywood movie “Band Baaja Baaraat.” The court emphasized that copyright protection extends beyond physica
In the 1991 case Apple Computer, Inc. v. Microsoft Corporation & Hewlett-Packard Company, Apple sued Microsoft and HP, alleging that their software infringed on Apple’s copyright-protected graphical user interface (GUI) from the Macintosh. The court ruled that while the 1985 Agreement between Apple
The legal battle between Roche and Cipla over the drug Erlotinib highlighted the tension between patent rights and public access to affordable medication. The Delhi High Court upheld Roche’s patent but declined to grant an injunction against Cipla’s generic version, citing the impending patent expir
The Gramophone Company of India v. Super Cassette Industries Ltd. case is pivotal in copyright law, particularly in the music industry. The Delhi High Court ruled that Super Cassette Industries infringed upon the copyright of Gramophone Company by producing unauthorized version recordings of their s
In Arijit Singh v. Codible Ventures LLP, the Bombay High Court upheld the singer’s personality rights, ruling that unauthorized use of his name, voice, and image by the defendants, including AI-generated replicas, violated his rights. The court emphasized that celebrities have the right to control t
The Supreme Court, in Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner v. Dr. Zafar Singh Solanki & Ors., ruled that ad-hoc service as a Lecturer cannot be counted towards eligibility for the senior pay scale under the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS). The Court emphasized that CAS is a policy matter, and
In the case Ram Jankijee Deities and Ors. v. State of Bihar and Ors. (AIR 1999 SC 2131), the Supreme Court of India recognized Hindu deities ‘Ram Jankiji’ and ‘Raja Rani’ as separate juristic entities capable of holding property. The Court ruled that each deity is entitled to individual grants and e
In the landmark case Dr. N.G. Dastane v. Mrs. S. Dastane, the Supreme Court addressed issues of cruelty, burden of proof, and condonation within marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act. The court established that the petitioner must prove cruelty by a preponderance of probability, not beyond a reasona
In Rajahmundry Electric Supply Corporation Ltd. v. A. Nageshwara Rao, the Supreme Court of India emphasized that the “just and equitable” clause in the Companies Act should be broadly interpreted to address gross mismanagement by directors. The Court upheld the winding-up order, maintaining that the