In The North Face Apparel Corp. v. Controller of Patents and Designs (CMA(PT) 22/2025), the Madras High Court set aside the Patent Office's refusal of an application titled 'Systems and Methods for End-to-End Article Management'. Hearing the appeal under Section 117A of the Patents Act, 1970, the court held that the Patent Office 'failed to properly assess the inventive step' and directed the Controller to grant the patent. It adds to a line of 2026 rulings in which High Courts have sent back or reversed refusals that did not properly reason the inventive-step analysis.
| Who is affected | Applicants whose patent applications were refused, especially for systems and software-related inventions, and anyone preparing for a patent hearing. |
|---|---|
| What to do | If your application is refused, check whether the order actually analyses each objection and the inventive step; an appeal to the High Court is possible within three months. Strong written submissions at the hearing stage make an appeal much easier. |
| Source | Madras High Court (reported by LiveLaw) |
This is a plain-language summary for general information, not legal or tax advice. The court order or official document is the authoritative text. Ask an expert how it applies to you.