The Government of Kerala has recently released the Draft IPR and TK Policy of Kerala, 2025 aimed at reforming the State’s IP governance framework after 17 years. The policy proposes the establishment of a Traditional Knowledge Authority, a Docketing System, and the launch of ‘Mission IPR’ to oversee IP governance in the state. The policy also envisions the creation of a statutory IPR Academy and mandatory IPR Cells and IP Management Committees in academic and research institutions for improving the administration of IP assets and its commercialization.

Policy is available here.

The Office of the Controller General Of Patents, Designs And Trade Marks (CGPDTM) has introduced a new status update in its trademark records – “Gone to Court”. This important addition alerts users to the initiation of judicial proceedings related to a particular trademark application. It serves as a valuable indicator for applicants, legal representatives, and other stakeholders monitoring the progress and legal status of a trademark.

In the commercial suit titled Cargill India Pvt. Ltd. v M/s Tirupati Oils & Anr. [CS(COMM)-204/2025] of trademark and copyright infringement and passing off, the Delhi High Court granted an ex-parte ad-interim injunction against the use of Plaintiff’s GEMINI trademarks and trade-dress use in connection with edible oils.

While recognizing the Plaintiff’s rights in the GEMINI trademark and trade-dress through statutory trademark and copyright registrations as well use for edible oils in India for over four decades, the Hon’ble Judge Amit Bansal injuncted the Defendants from using the trademark GEMINI or any other mark deceptively or confusingly similar thereto, including the marks GAMINI, SUPER GAMINI, GESMINI as well as the labels and trade-dress. The Hon’ble Court also observed that “Balance of convenience is in favour of the plaintiff and against the defendants. Irreparable injury would be caused to the plaintiff if the defendants continue to use the impugned marks. Prejudice would also be caused to the public as the marks of the defendants are deceptively similar to that of the plaintiff and likely to cause confusion in the market”. Raids were carried out under the Hon’ble Court’s orders to search and seize infringing goods.

Plaintiff in this matter was represented by ALG through its Partner & Litigation Practice chair Ashwani Balayan and Associates Manish Kumar.

Copy of the Order is available here:

At the Awareness Session on Enforcement of IPR in Seeds, organized by Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) in collaboration with the Government of India on March 21, 2025 held in Pune, industry experts underscored the critical need for stronger enforcement mechanisms to protect innovation and investment in India’s seed sector. They stressed that effective enforcement is essential for fostering agricultural research, ensuring high-quality seeds, and securing farmers’ livelihoods. The discussion called for greater collaboration among policymakers, industry stakeholders, and enforcement agencies to tackle infringement issues and build a sturdy, innovation-driven seed industry.

The report is accessible here.

A new feature under the name “Queue of Show Cause Hearing Notice Issuance” has been introduced by the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks (CGPDTM). This feature enhances transparency and helps track when a show cause hearing notice is expected to be issued. The portal also displays the previous day’s queue number, allowing users to estimate the approximate time frame for their matters. This will help the users to stay informed about the status of their cases and will improve overall efficacy.

Queue of Show Cause Hearing Notice Issuance link is accessible here.