This week’s IP updates include the Cadila-Hetero SC hearing preview, new GUI guidelines, AI use in trademark proceedings, and the 2026 Shamnad Basheer Essay Competition launch.
Weekly IP Roundup: Key Developments (Oct 26–Nov 1)
SpicyIP’s weekly review highlights recent developments in Indian intellectual property law. Key items include an upcoming Supreme Court hearing in the Cadila-Hetero biosimilar dispute, the Indian Designs Office’s draft guidelines on protection of Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs), and the Trade Marks Registry’s pilot framework for using AI in opposition and examination processes.
The 2026 Shamnad Basheer Essay Competition has been announced, focusing on access to medicines and innovation policy. Submissions are invited until December 15, 2026.
The GUI draft guidelines clarify that non-functional, aesthetic designs displayed on screens may qualify for design protection under Class 14-04 of the Designs Act, 2000, provided they are not dictated solely by technical function. The AI framework proposes algorithmic triage of trademark applications but stops short of automated approvals.
Practitioners should monitor these consultations, as they may shape future practice before the IP office. The AI pilot, in particular, raises transparency and appeal-related concerns pending rule formalization.
