Court Directs Payment to Army Central Welfare Fund in Patent Dispute
New Delhi, May 11 — The Delhi High Court has directed the Controller of Patents and Designs, the intellectual property authority, to pay Rs 20,000 to the Army Central Welfare Fund for repeatedly seeking adjournments in an ongoing patent registration case.
The penalty was imposed by Justice Saurabh Banerjee, who noted that the respondent’s counsel had sought adjournments during the last three hearings as well. The court issued the directive in an order dated May 8, 2025.
"Since the learned counsel for the respondent sought adjournment on the last three dates as well, in the interest of justice, renotify on 06.08.2025, albeit, subject to costs of Rs 20,000 to be paid by the respondent to the Army Central Welfare Fund within a period of four weeks," the court stated.
Despite written submissions being filed, the counsel for the Controller of Patents and Designs informed the court that he did not yet have “specific instructions” regarding the case.
The matter, which was filed in 2023, involves a patent dispute in which the petitioner is seeking registration of a patent in India. The court's decision to impose costs underscores its concern over repeated delays in the judicial process.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for August 6, 2025.