During last week’s PWS Session, Yash Raj, Associate, led a discussion on “Should Courts Use Big Data Analytics in Intellectual Property Disputes?” The session led with a discussion on the growing significance and utility of Big Data in the present times. In the session, the members identified and discussed the various methods of utilising Big Data by Courts and likely issues that would follow. The members also examined the need for additional resources and guidelines to use Big Data in facilitating IP dispute resolution.

A ‘Legal Issues Seminar- General IP’ (LIS-GIP) was conducted by Uroosa Shahzad, Trainee Associate, on “Can the Defense of Honest Concurrent Use be Relied Upon for the Use of Surnames as Trade Marks”. The seminar delved into the relevant provisions under the Trade Marks Act, 1999, which provides for a defence of honest concurrent use and bona fide use. The seminar analysed the relevant case laws that have laid down the factors to be considered while determining the applicability of the defence for use of similar surnames as trade marks. The session concluded with an interesting discussion into the current judicial trend in the application of the defense of honest concurrent and bona fide use of common similar surnames as registered trade marks.

The presentation can be accessed here.

Interns – Kirtika Shukla, Shivanshi Gupta and Gaurav Pratap have commenced their General IP Internship with the firm’s law practice.

We hope their stay in the firm during the 4 week period of their internship will be mutually enriching and that the firm and they will learn exciting things from each other!

Interns – Manish Kumar, Sonal Kumari, Alankrita Sinha, Garima Chauhan, Soumya Dendukuri, Dewang Shrivastava (Pre-Final Year) and Vaidehi Gupta (Final Year) have successfully completed their Internship at ALG. At the end of their internship, they obliged us with their thoughts and ideas during the Sharing of Reflections (SoR) session. Their presence enriched the firm while they interned here. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors.

Sheja Ehtesham and Clark Lackert feature in the first episode of INTA’s Brand & New Podcast in 2023, titled ‘IP in Space: From Science Fiction or Science Fact’. The podcast covers why IP owners and practitioners should be thinking about outer space, and how to be prepared for what the future may hold for IP in the rapidly evolving space economy. Sheja and Clark, who chair INTA’s Project Team on IP in Outer Space, also talk about the newly launched Report on the subject which explores practical legal approaches on reaching a workable IP system for space between now and the year 2050, by which time it is expected that there will be commercial activities in the Low Earth Orbit, Moon and Mars.

The podcast is available here.