A ‘Legal Issues Seminar’ (LIS-Patents) was conducted by Aditya Mittal, Trainee Associate, on “What is the Patentability Criteria for Software Inventions in India?”. The seminar delved into the provisions relating to the Patentability of Software Related Inventions in India. The seminar traversed the past two decades and provided insights into how the provision has kept on changing by the minute. The seminar also got into the current Patentability criteria applied on Computer Related Inventions or Software Patents. The session concluded with some interesting questions and discussion among the team.

The presentation can be accessed here.

A ‘Legal Issues Seminar-General IP’ (LIS-GIP) was conducted by Sanjukta Kaushik, Trainee Associate, on “Are Blueprints in Architectural Works Copyrightable?”. The seminar delved into the legal conundrum encircling the copyrightability of blueprints in architectural works. The seminar specifically looked into the statutory provisions pertaining to artistic works and also discussed, while exploring judicial decisions, the nature of copyright protection that is afforded to such works. The session concluded with some interesting questions and discussion among the team on copyright protection of blueprints and architectural works, including whether blueprints can, if at all, be better protected under the designs statute.

The presentation can be accessed here.

During last week’s Practice Work Shop (PWS) Session, Shreya Kunwar, Trainee Associate, lead a discussion on whether the use of IP as a form of Security/Financing is feasible in the Current Indian Market. The session witnessed an engaging discussion on the use of IP as security, the various advantages and disadvantages associated with such use in India, its permissibility under the current frameworks and possible steps to promote the same.

FICPI invites Sheja Ehtesham as a speaker in the “Space Programme” session in FICPI’s 20th Open Forum on 3 – 5 November 2021. The panel will look at trademark law in outer space from 2021 to 2120, and discuss what the legal infrastructure for trademarks off-world (Earth Orbit, Moon and Mars) may be. Current UN treaties, the Law of the Sea, national statutes, and possible new international agreements will also be examined.

A ‘Legal Issues Seminar-Patents’ (LIS-PAT) was conducted by Ashok Vardhan Adipudi, Trainee Associate, on “Whether a Species Claim is Disclosed in a Prior Genus Claim in a Markush Formula?”. The seminar delved into protection of the ambit of Markush claims and double patenting based on a prior Markush claim. The seminar specifically looked into the statutory provisions relating to unity of invention and patentability requirement while considering the boundaries of Markush claims. The session concluded with some interesting questions and discussion among the team, including the necessity of a species patent under a prior Markush claim.

The presentation can be accessed here.