In a legal tug-of-war brewing for over seven years, Inox India has secured a critical interim victory against Cryogas Equipment. The Baroda District Court, leaning on recent Supreme Court guidance, granted Inox an interim injunction in a high-stakes dispute involving allegations of copyright infringement and breach of confidentiality.
At the heart of the matter: engineering drawings. Inox claims these designs aren’t just technical blueprints but qualify as artistic works under copyright law. The court, at this early stage, agreed—acknowledging the creative threshold had been met, and granting protection accordingly.
The ruling is bolstered by the Supreme Court’s April 2025 decision, which introduced a two-part test to determine whether an artistic work can also be shielded as a design. Riding that precedent, the Baroda bench recognized Inox’s materials as deserving of copyright safeguards.
But the case isn’t just about intellectual property. The court also noted a breach of confidentiality by Cryogas and others involved, and upheld the maintainability of a composite suit under Order II Rule 3 of the Civil Procedure Code—a green light for combining copyright and confidentiality claims in one legal proceeding.
Inox’s legal corner was held down by Khaitan & Co., with Adheesh Nargolkar and Smriti Yadav leading the charge alongside Principal Associate Dhiren Karania. Senior counsel Rashmin Khandekar argued the case in court.
This interim win adds a key chapter to a complex legal saga, with full resolution still down the road. But for now, the scales have tipped toward Inox.
