Kolkata, April 29 -- In a significant ruling, the Calcutta High Court has held that graphical user interfaces (GUIs) can be protected as designs under the Designs Act, 2000, marking a shift towards a more technology-aligned interpretation of intellectual property law.
The Court set aside multiple rejection orders issued by the Patent Office, which had earlier denied design registration to GUI-related applications filed by companies such as Nippon Electric Company (NEC), Erbe Medical India Private Limited, Abiomed and TVS Motor Company.
Background of the case
The Patent Office had rejected these applications on the grounds that GUIs are not articles under the law. They lack physical existence and permanence and are visible only when a ...