INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN INDIA: PROMOTING INNOVATION IN A KNOWLEDGE-DRIVEN ECONOMY
In a world increasingly governed by knowledge and technology, the ability to generate and harness creative outputs and protect them by the grant of intellectual property rights (IPR) has become critical to economic growth, technological advancements, and socio-cultural progress. Innovations and new ideas may be protected through patents, literary, artistic and musical works may be […]
Understanding the Indian Patent Act
Innovation drives economic progress and scientific advancement more than anything else. Whether it’s a breakthrough cure for a disease, new and intelligent software, a revolutionary clean technology, or better agricultural practice, each of these originates from an idea that should be afforded legal protection. Patent law grants inventors exclusive rights over their inventions, encouraging innovation […]
CAN A MACHINE INVENT? THE INDIAN PATENT OFFICE’S DABUS REFUSAL AND THE FUTURE OF AI INVENTORSHIP
This blog examines the Indian Patent Office’s April 2026 refusal of Dr. Stephen Thaler’s patent application naming the artificial intelligence system DABUS as the sole inventor under Application No. 202017019068. It analyzes the Controller’s statutory interpretation of Sections 2(1)(y), 6, 7, and 10 of the Patents Act, 1970, which restrict inventorship strictly to natural or […]
CROSS-BORDER DATA TRANSFER UNDER INDIA’S DIGITAL PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION ACT, 2023: EXAMINING THE BLACKLIST APPROACH
This article examines Section 16 of India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, which governs cross-border data transfer through a permissive “blacklist” model rather than the restrictive “whitelist” approach found in the 2022 draft Bill that preceded it. It traces the operational detail added by Rule 15 of the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025, […]
DOMAIN NAME FRAUD AND TRADEMARK PROTECTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE: A CASE COMMENTARY ON DABUR INDIA LIMITED V. ASHOK KUMAR & ORS. (2025)
This case commentary examines the Delhi High Court’s judgment in Dabur India Limited v. Ashok Kumar & Ors., a 248-page framework decision addressing large-scale domain name fraud and trademark impersonation. It traces the judgment’s procedural evolution from an ex parte injunction into a consolidated proceeding governing registrar obligations, examines the registrars’ doctrinal defenses under Section […]
CAN A MACHINE BE AN “AUTHOR”? COPYRIGHT’S IDENTITY CRISIS IN THE AGE OF AI
This article examines the Indian Copyright Office’s unresolved treatment of artificial intelligence and authorship, beginning with the 2020 registration and subsequent quiet withdrawal notice concerning Ankit Sahni’s AI-assisted artwork Suryast, registered under Section 2(d)(vi) of the Copyright Act, 1957. It then turns to Stephen Thaler’s pending Indian copyright application for A Recent Entrance to Paradise, […]
ROLE OF URBAN LOCAL BODIES
As India transforms into a developed country, rapid urbanisation has taken place, making cities the hub of employment and economic development. As a result, there has been an increase in demand for improved infrastructure, housing, transport, sanitation, and other services. Urban Local Bodies (ULB) have been the primary governing units for planning and development in […]
WETLAND CONSERVATION AND REGULATION
Urban centers act as magnets for population growth, drawing people from surrounding rural and semi-urban areas in search of employment, education, healthcare, and better living conditions. This rapid urbanization significantly increases the demand for land to accommodate housing, industry, transportation networks, and public infrastructure. As cities expand, natural landscapes—such as forests, grasslands, wetlands, agricultural lands, […]
Case Commentary: Confederation of Real Estate Developers of India (CREDAI) v. Vanashakti and Another
This commentary is to analyse the Supreme Court’s decision in Confederation of Real Estate Developers of India (CREDAI) v. Vanashakti and Another . This case represents a significant turning point in India’s environmental jurisprudence; it represents significant judicial intervention especially concerning the soundness of ex post facto environmental clearance (ECs). Delivered on November 18, 2025, […]
Is “Digital Governance” a Permanent Solution to State Capacity, or a Technological Fix Masking the Need for Reforms?
while India’s DPI has dramatically enhanced transactional efficiency and fiscal savings, it is not a substitute for deeper administrative reform. “Technology can take you 70% of the way, but the last 30% requires political will and institutional change.” A synergistic approach that harnesses digital tools while simultaneously overhauling bureaucracy offers the only sustainable path toward […]