On April 15, 2025, the Supreme Court of India upheld the Gujarat High Court’s directive for a fresh trial in a copyright infringement case involving Inox India, Cryogas Equipment (CEPL), and LNG Express (LEIPL). Inox India had accused CEPL and LEIPL of copying its designs for cryogenic storage tanks and distribution systems used in transporting industrial gases and liquefied natural gas.
The dispute centers on whether Inox’s designs qualify for protection under the Copyright Act or the Designs Act. The Supreme Court introduced a two-pronged test to determine this:
1 . Assess if the work is purely an ‘artistic work’ protected by the Copyright Act.
2. Determine if it’s a ‘design’ derived from such artistic work and subjected to an industrial process, as per Section 15(2) of the Copyright Act.
The Vadodara Commercial Court, which had previously dismissed Inox’s suit in 2024, has been instructed to conduct the retrial and decide on Inox’s plea to restrain CEPL and LEIPL from using its designs within two months.
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