ALG’s Senior Associate, Anurathna Mathivanan, will serve as a judge in the Preliminary Rounds of the inaugural edition of the Vidhi Pragati: National IP Moot Court Competition, organized by the Centre for Innovation, Intellectual Property and Competition- IPR Chair at National Law University, Delhi, and supported by The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India from February 7-9, 2025. The theme of the inaugural edition of the Competition is “Artificial Intelligence and Copyright.” The event will have participation from teams from across India who shall be competing in various rounds to qualify for the Finals.

This year’s ALG Potluck Picnic at Lodhi Garden was a truly special gathering, bringing together colleagues and their families for a day of joy, laughter, and celebration. From engaging games to a delightful spread of homemade delicacies, every moment was filled with warmth and camaraderie. Having our colleagues’ families join the festivities made the event even more special, reinforcing the strong sense of community that defines ALG.

The occasion was even more meaningful as we marked ALG’s 25th Foundation Day, a testament to our journey of excellence and growth.

Adding to the celebration, we proudly welcomed our trainee associates into their new roles as Associates.

Here’s to many more years of shared success, milestones, and togetherness!

During the last PWS session, Adyanshi Kashyap, Trainee Associate, hosted a discussion on “Does Dupe Culture Boost Niche Small Businesses?” The session began by examining how affordable alternatives to high-end products are reshaping the fashion industry, including whether they stifle creativity or create opportunities for emerging brands. Members explored the impact of consumer demand for affordable fashion, questioning whether it indirectly fuels the production of dupes. The session also touched on whether dupes increase visibility and aspiration for high-end brands, potentially benefiting both luxury and niche fashion businesses. The session concluded with the recognition that while dupe culture presents challenges for originality and brand identity, it also democratizes fashion access and offers strategic opportunities for small businesses to leverage visibility and market trends. The need for regulations and brand adaptability was highlighted as key to sustaining creativity and competition in an increasingly dupe-driven market.

A ‘Legal Issues Seminar- General IP’ (LIS-GIP) was conducted by Uroosa Shahzad, Associate, on “Is there a threshold for the stylization of font in determining the likelihood of confusion?” The seminar discussed Section 29(2) of the Trade Marks Act, 1999, analysing how font size, design, and overall presentation impacts the likelihood of confusion between trademarks. The discussion also delved into how courts assess trademark infringement, emphasizing the importance of the overall commercial impression rather than just the stylization of a font. The members also exchanged views on whether distinct font stylization viz. the font style or the font size can sufficiently differentiate a mark from another. The session concluded with insights on factors that may be evaluated in determining the risk of infringement in such instances.

The presentation can be accessed here.

During the last PWS session, Nadra Jawaid, Trainee Associate, hosted a discussion on “Whether the Metaverse increases the risk of IP theft vis-à-vis traditional digital platforms?” The conversation explored several key points, such as the role of blockchain technology, smart contracts, and watermarking to verify ownership and in protecting the intellectual property owned by content creators and businesses. The session further explored the responsibility shared between creators, platform providers, and users for preventing IP theft as well as the privacy and data protection challenges in the Metaverse with respect to IP theft. The session concluded with the common understanding that safeguarding digital assets in the Metaverse demands integrating blockchain, smart contracts, and watermarking with clear accountability for creators, platform providers, and users.