A ‘Legal Issues Seminar-General IP’ (LIS-GIP) was conducted by Shreya Kunwar, Trainee Associate, on ‘Whether Street Art & Graffiti can be Protected as Artistic Works Under Copyright Law?’. The seminar explored the various requirements for an artwork like graffiti to be protected under copyright law, and discussed a few examples of how the rights of street artists are protected and enforced in other jurisdictions. The session concluded with some interesting questions and discussion among the team on the concepts of vandalism and commissioned artwork.

The presentation can be accessed here.

At ALG we take pride in the diversity of our members, and the varied perspectives and ideas that tend to be shaped by unique individual experiences. In celebration of our diversity, we have started a fun series, aptly named “ALG Medley”. ALG members were asked to share a line or word(s) in a language that is native to them. No rules – may be something they use or hear often, that tickles them or just something that stuck with them through the years.

Over the next few weeks, we are sharing the responses that came in covering languages spanning across the length and width of India. We hope you find them as enjoyable as we did!

Template attribution: Canva, see: https://www.canva.com/

We are pleased to share that Ashwani Balayan has been inducted as a member of FICPI – International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys pursuant to a unanimous recommendation of the Admission Commission. FICPI is the only international NGO having a membership that is restricted to experienced IP attorneys in private practice whose qualifications are vouched for by international peers.

More information about Mr. Balayan’s membership is available here.

A ‘Special Legal Issues Seminar- General IP’ (SLIS-GP) was conducted by Krithika Muthuraman, Associate, on Order II Rule 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 for different types of claims in different types of IP lawsuits. The seminar discussed the requirements for framing of suit under Order II Rule 1 and the effects of relinquishment of claims/reliefs under Order II Rule 2. It also looked into the different interpretations of the term ’cause of action’ by Courts in various cases, and the applicability of the Rules in suits for infringement and passing off of trademarks and copyrights. The seminar was followed by a discussion among the team on the effect of amendment of claims during the course of proceedings and its relation (if any) to these Rules.

The presentation can be accessed here.

During last week’s Practice Work Shop (PWS) Session, Aditya Mittal, Trainee Associate, led a discussion on the topic “Can marking products as ‘Patent Pending’ yield benefits for the patentee in the current Indian market scenario?”. The session saw an engaging discussion with attorneys expressing their views on the pros and cons of marking products as ‘Patent Pending’ and its foreseeable impact on the market. The session also saw some interesting exchange of views on what should be the ideal time for an inventor to push out his product in the market and whether the ‘Patent Pending’ mark could aid in this regard.