List of top Legal Studies Questions on Intellectual Property Law asked in CLAT

Geographical Indications (GIs) are a form of intellectual property that designates a product as originating from a specific geographic location, where a given quality. reputation, or other characteristic is essentially attributable to its geographic origin. GIs protect names that are used to identify products with specific qualities or characteristics due to their geographic origin. For example, 'Champagne' refers to sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of France, and 'Darjeeling Tea' refers to tea grown in the Darjeeling region of India. The protection of GIs ensures that only products genuinely originating from a specific region are allowed to use the geographical name. This helps maintain the product's reputation and quality, prevents misuse or imitation, and supports local economies by promoting regional products. International agreements such as the TRIPS Agreement under the World Trade Organization (WTO) provide a framework for the protection of GIs globally.
Principle: Letters or words not describing quality of things can be registered as a trade mark.
Facts: Ram made an application for registration of alphabet 'B' written in a fancy style as trade mark to be applied on packets and cartons of shoes manufactured by him.
Principle: Copyright law protects only work. 'Work' means cinematographic film but does not include performance by an actor in a cinematographic film.
Facts: Alia Bhatt acted in a movie.
Principles:
1. When a person unlawfully interferes with another’s chattel depriving him of its use, it is conversion.
2. Nobody shall enrich himself at another's expense.
Facts: A patient’s appendix was removed at a hospital. The hospital used unique cells from it to develop valuable drugs. The patient, learning of this later, claimed a profit share.
Possible decisions:
(a) Hospital need not share profits
(b) Hospital may share on ex gratia basis
(c) Hospital shall share profits
Possible reasons:
(i) The patient benefited from removal.
(ii) Hospital’s research was its own effort.
(iii) Hospital could not have succeeded without the appendix.
(iv) Everyone must share.