IP Divisions in Indian High Courts: Status Tracker

Explainer · IP Divisions Tracker

Updated for 2026 · Claw Editorial

If you file or defend an IP dispute in India, one early question decides a lot: does the High Court you are in have an IP Division, and which matters does it take? The answer is not the same in every state, and it has changed since the IPAB was wound up in 2021. This tracker lists the four High Courts with a notified IP Division, the dates, the one major High Court still without one, and the practical steps to follow IPD matters. Last verified October 2026.

01Why this tracker matters

For years, IP cases in India sat in the general commercial or civil dockets of High Courts. When the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021 abolished the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB), appeals and rectification matters that used to go to the IPAB moved to the High Courts. Courts then began setting up specialised IP Divisions (IPDs) to handle this load.

That created a patchwork. A trademark rectification may now be heard by a dedicated IP bench in Delhi, but in a state without an IPD it may sit in a general roster. Counsel need to know three things quickly:

• Does this High Court have a notified IP Division?
• From what date do its IPD rules apply?
• Where do I look for its orders, hearings and cause lists?

This page answers the first two and gives a working method for the third. It is a status tracker, so every date is stated with its source. If a date could not be confirmed from a primary source, we say so in plain words.

02The 4 notified IP Divisions (status table)

As of October 2026, four High Courts have notified rules for an IP Division. Bombay has not.

Dates for Madras, Himachal Pradesh and Calcutta are drawn from the gazette notifications as reported by Indian IP law commentary and the courts’ own sites. Always check the latest rule PDF on the High Court website before you cite a date in a filing.

03Court by court notes

Delhi High Court

Delhi was the first to set up an IP Division and is still the busiest forum for IP matters in India. Its IPD cases carry dedicated case-type codes in the court records, for example C.O.(COMM.IPD-TM) for trademark rectification. Cause lists and orders for IPD benches are published separately on the court website.

Madras High Court

Madras became the second High Court with an IPD. Its rules were notified in the gazette on 5 April 2023. Matters that used to go to the IPAB at Chennai, which was a major IPAB bench, now come to this division.

Himachal Pradesh High Court

Himachal Pradesh notified its IP Rights Division Rules on 8 July 2024. The state has a large pharma and manufacturing base, which is why IP disputes there are a real workload and not a formality.

Calcutta High Court

Calcutta notified its IP Rights Division Rules on 20 September 2024, which makes it the most recent of the four. It serves eastern India, where IPAB matters previously had no local bench.

Bombay High Court

Bombay has a large IP docket but no notified IPD. IP matters there continue to be heard under its commercial and original side rosters. Practice can change by roster order without a new rule, so treat this as a point to re-check every few months.

04Courts without an IPD

Outside the four above, other High Courts have not notified an IP Division in the sense used here. IP matters there are heard by commercial courts or regular benches, depending on the subject, the value and the state’s rules.

Two points help when you are in such a court:

• Check whether the High Court has issued a roster or practice direction that assigns IP matters to a named bench. This is common even without formal IPD rules.
• Check the commercial courts framework. Many IP suits above the specified value are Commercial Disputes under the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, with its own timelines.

05What an IPD usually hears

The exact scope is set by each court’s own rules, so read the rule PDF for your court. In general, IP Divisions deal with:

• Original suits on trademarks, copyright, patents, designs and passing off.
• Appeals and rectification matters that earlier went to the IPAB, such as trademark and patent appeals.
• Writ petitions against orders of the IP Offices, where the court rules assign them to the IPD.

Because rules differ, do not assume that Delhi’s allocation applies in Madras, Calcutta or Himachal Pradesh. Compare the list of subjects in each rule before you decide where and how to file.

Universities and technology transfer offices that deal with patents across several states can find the practical tool angle in best IP tools for universities and TTOs. If you are filing patents, see also Form 3 after the 2024 Patent Rules.

06How to follow IPD matters without missing an order

A tracker of courts is only half the job. The other half is following your own matters inside those courts. A simple method:

1. Note the case-type code. In Delhi, IPD matters carry codes such as C.O.(COMM.IPD-TM). Searching by code lists every matter of that type.
2. Track by party name too. Infringement matters are often filed against names you did not expect. Search the opponent’s name across courts.
3. Watch cause lists daily. IPD benches often list many matters, and a short interim hearing can be decided in minutes.
4. Read the order, not the headline. Download the order from the court website and check the next date.
5. Keep a register side. Court matters and IP India deadlines (renewals, hearings, annuities) move on separate calendars. Keep both in one list.

Use the official sites first: the High Court websites and the IP India portal are the primary sources, and commercial tools are a convenience on top of them.

07Where Claw fits

Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.

Knowing which High Court has an IP Division is only half the job. The other half is following your own matters inside those courts. Claw does that across all of them: it tracks cases, orders and hearings across 9,102 courts, benches and forums, searches 30 crore+ judgments with results in under 5 seconds, and covers the Supreme Court from 1950 and the High Courts from 1990. So you can follow an IPD matter by case type code, party or advocate name, and read how a bench decided a similar dispute.

Claw does not use customer documents to train AI models. Create a FREE Claw account to track IPD matters and search decisions by party or advocate name. To search the wider body of law, see case search across Indian courts.

08Sources and further reading

Check these primary sources before relying on any date on this page. Last verified October 2026.

• Delhi High Court (IPD rules, case types, cause lists): delhihighcourt.nic.in
• Madras High Court: hcmadras.tn.gov.in
• Calcutta High Court: calcuttahighcourt.gov.in
• Himachal Pradesh High Court: hphighcourt.nic.in
• IP India (registry, journals, forms): ipindia.gov.in
• WIPO (India IP profile): wipo.int
• Indian Kanoon (public judgments): indiankanoon.org
• Claw: clawlaw.in

This is a status tracker and not legal advice. Rules change, and a court can notify a new division at any time.

09Frequently asked questions