In 2007 Bajaj Auto, holding a patent on twin-spark 'DTS-i' engine technology, moved against TVS's upcoming 125cc Flame. What followed was injunctions, appeals — and a Supreme Court moment that outlived the dispute itself.
The IP move
Bajaj enforced early, before launch momentum. TVS countered on validity and design-around. In 2009 the Supreme Court, exasperated by IP cases dragging for years at the interim stage, directed that intellectual property suits be tried expeditiously — day-to-day where possible — a direction courts still cite.
The takeaways
Indian patents are enforceable — and enforcement timing shapes markets, not just judgments.
Validity challenges are the standard counterpunch; a filing drafted to survive scrutiny is the real asset.
The judicial climate for speedy IP trials began with businesses willing to fight.
The lesson for your business
Enforcement is a business decision with legal tools: what to enforce, when, against whom, and at what cost relative to the stakes. Scope it like any investment — before emotion prices it for you.
