Calcutta High Court Becomes India's Third HC With Specialised Division To Hear Intellectual Property Cases
The Calcutta High Court has become only the third court in India to house a dedicated bench of judges for hearing Intellectual Property (IP) matters. Other High Courts that have a dedicated roster for IP matters include Madras High Court and Delhi High Court.
While the draft IP rules had been notified by the High Court in 2023, after much deliberation and discussion among stakeholders, the final rules have been notified, and a new roster for IP cases will be started in November this year.
While Calcutta HC is the oldest HC in the country and one of only a handful which can directly hear commercial suits such as IP matters due to its original jurisdiction, a dedicated bench for hearing IP matters had yet not been established.
With the abolition of the Intellectual Property Appellate Board in 2021, scores of IP cases were transferred to the Calcutta HC, which were assigned to various judges with expertise in the area based on the roster.
While the official inauguration for the IP division has not yet taken place, matters may be heard after the court reopens after the Puja vacation.
With the establishment of a dedicated division to hear IP cases, it is expected that IP matters would be dealt with in a swift manner, by judges who are skilled in the area in order to be able to deliver well-examined verdicts.