Delhi High Court restrains Sanjay Dutt-backed whisky brand from using “Godfather”
On June 22, 2026, the Delhi High Court granted an interim injunction against Cartel Bros Private Limited, restraining it from using “Godfather” in connection with its whisky products. The suit was brought by Devans Modern Breweries, which has manufactured beer under the “Godfather” mark since 1984 and holds registrations covering whisky and rum as well. Cartel Bros, backed by actor Sanjay Dutt, argued it had revised its branding to “The Glenwalk Godfather’s by Sanjay Dutt” and had no intention of using “Godfather” as a standalone mark, offering to withdraw its own trademark application in exchange for using the revised label.
Justice Tushar Rao Gedela held that despite the modification, “Godfather’s” remained bold and prominent enough in the revised branding that an average consumer could still associate it with Devans’ established mark, and granted the injunction pending final adjudication of the suit.
Madras High Court clarifies limits of the Bolar exemption in Novartis patent dispute
On June 3, 2026, the Madras High Court ruled in favour of Novartis AG in a dispute over its Vildagliptin patent, rejecting the defendant’s challenges under Sections 3(d) and 8 of the Patents Act and clarifying the scope of Section 107A, India’s “Bolar exemption.” The provision allows generic manufacturers to use a patented invention without infringement liability if the use is solely for generating data required for regulatory approval.
The Court held that Section 107A does not provide blanket immunity for all activity connected to a patented product, and that a party invoking the exemption must produce specific documentary evidence, including proof that regulatory approval was actually sought and that the regulator requested the underlying trial data. The ruling draws on international precedent, including US and Canadian case law, and is expected to guide future disputes over how far the exemption extends before generic activity crosses into infringement.
Calcutta High Court holds that app icons and screen displays can be registered as designs
In a ruling delivered on March 9, 2026, the Calcutta High Court held that graphical user interfaces, the icons, layouts, and screen displays used on electronic devices, are not automatically excluded from design protection under India’s Designs Act, 2000. The decision came in a batch of appeals by NEC Corporation, Erbe Elektromedizin, Abiomed, and TVS Motor Company, after the Controller of Patents and Designs had repeatedly rejected their GUI design applications on the basis that such interfaces are only visible when a device is switched on.
Justice Ravi Krishan Kapur set aside those rejections, holding that the Designs Office had applied an unduly narrow reading of what counts as an “article” and a “design,” and noting that amendments to the Design Rules in 2019 and 2021 already created specific classifications for screen displays and icons. The applications were sent back to the Controller for fresh consideration.
Delhi High Court restrains AI chatbot platforms from impersonating actor Sonakshi Sinha
On March 20, 2026, the Delhi High Court granted actor Sonakshi Sinha an ex parte interim injunction against multiple AI chatbot platforms, including Character Technologies Inc., and several e-commerce websites, restraining them from using her name, image, voice, or likeness without authorisation. The suit alleged that some platforms hosted chatbots designed to impersonate her directly, including generating obscene content, while others used her identity to falsely suggest product endorsements.
Justice Jyoti Singh held that Sinha had established a strong prima facie case, and ordered the defendants to take down the infringing content within 36 hours. The case is one of a growing number of Indian personality-rights suits brought by public figures against AI-generated impersonation since early 2026. A further hearing on the injunction application was scheduled for July 6, 2026.
Sources: Verdictum, Bar & Bench, Deccan Chronicle, The Tribune, Storyboard18 (Godfather case); Legal Service India, Mondaq (Novartis case); Lawbeat, SCC Online, IAM Media (GUI design case); Verdictum, ANI, SCC Online, BananaIP Intellepedia (Sonakshi Sinha case).
