Supreme Court Clarifies Design Protection Criteria, Mandates Comprehensive Trial for Assessing Proprietary Engineering Drawings Infringement

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....SC upheld the HC's decision rejecting the application under Order VII Rule 11 of CPC. The court established a two-pronged test for determining whether a work qualifies as a 'design' under the Designs Act, focusing on: (i) the nature of the artistic work and its industrial application, and (ii) the functional utility of the work. The Commercial Court was directed to conduct a comprehensive trial within one year, independently assessing the infringement claims and the true nature of the Proprietary Engineering Drawings, and to decide on the interim injunction application within two months.....