New Delhi, Oct. 6 -- When monopoly rights collide with market freedom, the law must choose balance over chaos. Yet, a recent ruling of India's Supreme Court could tip us the wrong way. Intellectual property rights (IPRs), by their very nature, grant a legal monopoly to innovators over their creations.

However, this monopoly is not absolute; competition law plays a vital role in ensuring that these rights are not exploited to the detriment of markets or consumers. Thus, by holding that the Competition Commission of India (CCI) cannot exercise jurisdiction over patent-related matters-or, specifically, by refusing to overrule a high court order saying so-the apex court may have effectively opened the door to potential anti-competitive agree...