IP Law: Year In Review 2025

This year in review captures significant legislative, administrative, and judicial developments in Indian intellectual property law in 2025. The publication highlights key trends shaping the country’s IP landscape.

The highlights of the current issue are: –

A. Legislative Developments

• Patent regime opened to nuclear energy-related inventions
• IT Rules amended to update takedown framework
• DPIIT notified amendments to GI Rules, lowering application and renewal fees
• New biodiversity access and benefit sharing regulations notified

B. Administrative Developments

• Patent Office released revised guidelines for examination of computer-related inventions
• New guidelines released for examination Ayush-related inventions
• DPIIT public notice on music licensing for weddings withdrawn
• Trademark application queue list introduced
• IP India dashboard unveiled
• OTP based trademark status check

C. Case laws

1. Copyright Law

• Artistic work: copyright or design? The Apex Court’s two-pronged test
• Perpetual assignment of music rights includes digital mediums
• Exorbitant license fee amounts to a refusal under the Copyright Act

2. Trademark Law

• Maintainability of second appeals under the Trade Marks Act
• Trademark infringement liability for online listing platforms
• Mandated data disclosure for domain registrants

3. Patent Law

• Anti-competitive patent conduct: Patents Act prevails over Competition Act
• Balancing the evergreening of patents and public interest
• Philips v. Bathla: Why claim mapping and solid evidence matter
• Clarification on proof of right in patent cases by the DHC

D. Other Updates

• India registered its first smell trademark
• Stay in Azure–PPL copyright dispute not applicable to third parties
• Publication of all views on industrial design
• Thirteenth edition of the Nice Classification

E. Outlook for 2026

• Copyright Act could be amended for AI royalty
• India’s design law to get a makeover
• Centralised music licensing portal to boost live events industry
• Due diligence in relation to synthetically generated information
• Phased rollout of the new data protection framework
• Guidelines for the use of GI and GI logo
• Mandatory online systems for licence fee collection
• Code of Conduct for patent and trademark agents