Trademark is a word, symbol, design, or phrase, or any combination of them, which distinguishes and recognizes the source of goods or services. The special rights for the use of Trademark retains by the owner of a well-known Trademark. Using a parallel/similar Trademark for selling their same or similar products or services are forbidden from the competitors who are in the market.
The Trademark laws of a country helps the consumers to subordinate the products or services they use with a specific Trademark and the businesses to market their products and facilities. As soon as the protection of the Trademark is known to such products or services handed off by them, the consumers of products or services are assured reliability and quality in the products or service station they use. In this article, let us understand about trademark and its registration in detail henceforward.
What is Intellectual property Rights?
- Intellectual Property Right is the regulation that administers the rights of the unique composer from any trademark infringement or from anybody who duplicates his/her work. Intellectual property right protects the musical work, artistic work, novels, inventions, or business identity.
- Intellectual property rights are the exclusive rights arranged to the lawful owner. It is significant to know in factors what are the protections, what is intellectual property rights, what are the rights approved to the owner, and how they can get advantage from these given rights.
Common forms of IP rights in India
- Motivation and promotion of new inventions, technical expansion, an artistic and musical expressions is the chief purpose of intellectual property rights, generating overall economic growth.
- If creators are aware of creating innovations, their work will be safe and protected as well as they can earn profit by way of royalty. Hereby, they can be more enthusiastic to create jobs, cultivate new things, and improve the overall economy.
What do you mean by Trademark Registration?
- Trademark is a visual registered symbol which is used by an entity to differentiate its business from that of the other business allocating incomparable goods and services in the form of name, designation, logo, label or number.
- The competitor practices its name to sell its product or service, when the business is popular or successful and has good will in the market. It shall guard its name in the form of trademark registration in India to protect the successful object from such infringements.
- They frequently face the risk of failure to use their mark in the future or their product reduces from the market, when owners do not pay care to protect their legal rights. Trademark Act 1999 and Trademark Rules 2002 are the Legal provisions for prevailing and regulating the trademark registration in India.
What are the Considered Criteria and Procedure for Trademark Registration?
For the accomplishment of trademark registration in India, the logo or the mark shall meet few requirements.
Those are as follows:-
Procedure for Trademark Registration in India
Identify Brand Name-
With the help of a search of the trademark on the MCA portal, a registered trademark can be searched. The name should be eye-catchy and must not resemble with the previously registered name.
You can also go for a search by trademark database maintained at the official website of intellectual property. Link is: – http://www.ipindia.nic.in/.
Prepare Trademark application-
With an application for applying online, kindly prepare the supporting documents to take possession of the same. Necessary documents should be attached and the approved government fee of ‘INR 4500’ shall be paid for the Trademark registration application.
Apply for Trademark Registration in India –
It can be done online or offline mode as per the suitability of an applicant. The applicant should move individually, or conveyance the application-supporting documents to the Registrar Office of Trade Mark, if willing to apply offline.
The applicant must official visit the online website of Trademark registration and shall complete the application and attach the supporting document, it applies online.
Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Ahmadabad –
These are the Regional office for trademark registration. The registrar will produce acknowledgment to an applicant on the receipt of the application.
Verification of Application–
Registrar will verify the application upon receipt of such an application. He will scrutinize for its correctness and the brand name applied for shall be complied with existing law. There shall be no conflict or dispute existing between existing or pending brand name.
Publication of TM in Indian Trade Mark Journal –
Once the entire verification and examination are completed, the registrar shall publish the Trademark in Indian Trade Mark Journal. The trademark is kept open for any objection and in case there is no objection within 3 months of publication such trademark can be used by the owner thereafter.
Trademark Registration Certificate–
The registrar will issue a registration certificate even if the above stated period of 3 months expired, as there is no objection on such a period. Once the trademark certificate is issued, the applicant can use the registered trademark symbol beside the brand name.
Use of Insignia
After the registration of trademark, the insignia ® shall be used together with the registered trademark with respect to all those goods and services for which it is registered.
What are the types of trademark that can be registered?
The given below are the different types of trademark that can be registered:
- Product Trademarks: affixed to identify the particular product or goods.
- Service Trademarks: used to identify the entity’s services, such as what is the broadcasting service trademark, service of retails outlet, etc. service trademark is used in advertisement for services.
- Certification Trademarks: these are capable of differentiating the goods or services in association with what are their uses in the duration of trade and that the proprietor certifies having regard with the origin, quality, material, the process of manufacture, or other definite characters.
- Collective Trademarks: these are registered by the names of associations, groups, or other organizations for the members of these groups to use the trademark in their commercial activities to signify their participation with the members of the group.
What do you mean by Domain Name?
- Domain Name a process of Internet Protocol address which is human-friendly. The Domain Name is usually used to find services which any consumer needs to explore for information regarding a product or services or websites of products. It is the online uniqueness of a specific person, organization, or creation.
- It leads to the page in which the owner of the domain name desires to be observed by whole of the general public as soon as they visit the Domain of the website of the owner of the domain name.
- In general, companies and traders usage the business or trade names used by them as their online identity in the course of business, or domain name itself.
- Notwithstanding the location of the owner of the Domain Name, it is a perpetual address that can be accessed by anyone from any place in the world. Consequently, Domain Name registration stretches a worldwide presence to the online individuality of a person or organization.
What do you mean by Joint Ownership of Trademark?
- If an entity jointly created by both or to share the goods and services produced by both jointly e acting as Owner of a Trademark, then it is known as Joint Ownership of a Trademark. It also witnesses the joining of the economic worth of Trademark.
- Section 24 of the Trademark Act, 1999 has prescribed provision for Joint Ownership of Trademark. The Joint Ownership of Trademark is termed as a mutual agreement in the middle of both the parties and entities to possess/own a Trademark collectively.
- It does not allow entity or anyone of the party to be the complete owner of the Trademark. Therefore, the Registration of Trademark will be done in the name of both the parties and entities jointly.
- Either of the parties or entities whereas entering into Joint Ownership of a Trademark needs a standard place of business essentially in India (As per Section 18 of the Trademarks Act, 1999).
- The profits produced from the business of Joint Ownership must be equally divided among both joint owners as per the standings mentioned in the contract agreement.
Read our article:Trademark of Domain Name in India
What do you mean by Trademark Infringement & Trademark Renewal?
- Trademark Infringement is unlawful use of a mark by an unsanctioned person, which is matching or deceptively alike to an already registered Trademark.
- The term ‘misleadingly/deceptive similar’ means that when a common consumer expresses at the mark, it will be puzzling the consumer with the other recorded/listed trademark.
The provisions related to Trademark Infringement three main objectives, which are as follows:
Trademark Renewal Expiration Prospect
- The Registration of Trademark expires after 10 years in India. In order to retain the Registration of Trademark everlasting, an application for Renewal of Trademark must be filed either ‘online or offline’ to the Registry of Trademark. The application must be filed with the recommended fees to the Registry as said above.
- The procedure of Renewal of Trademark must begin at least 6 months in advance – the date of the expiration of Registration of the Trademark. It helps the owner of registered Trademark to keep the Trademark permanent and perpetual. The Renewal of Trademark can be done as many times & many years, the owner of Trademark wishes to keep the status registered and active.
What is Trademark Restoration & Trademark Opposition?
- The owner of the registered Trademark can apply for Trademark Restoration, as per Section 22(4) of the Trademarks Act, 1999.
- Trademark Restoration is the procedure of carrying back the Trademark, which is removed to the Register of trademarks at the Registry. Due to absence of timely Trademark Renewal of the previous or original Registration of the Trademark, such removal of Trademark from Register gets instigated.
- After 6 months and within 1 year from the date of expiration of the last registration of Trademark, the application for Restoration can be filed. It should be filed in Form TM-R by means of the Restoration fee and the prescribed Renewal fee.
- The Registrar should create an advertisement in the Trademark Journal about the Trademark Restoration after the acceptance of the request for Restoration.
Trademark Opposition Prospectus
When the Registrar approves the application of Trademark Registration in India, then the Trademark Opposition comes into operation. The Trademark Register purity is the vital concern, therefore, the Indian Trademark Act, 1999 has a scrutiny process (3 tires) to check and confirm the purity of Register of Trademark.
The three tires scrutinize are as follows:-
- Trademark Rules, 2017: The guidelines given under Trademark Rules, 2017 says that third party can file the Opposition as per prescription. The primary motive of common public should get to know about the overall content of the application to make via an advertisement for the application of Registration.
Conclusion
With the contemporary situation of the Novel Corona virus at hand and the lockdown position in India, numerous courts, tribunals and other judicial organizations have taken diverse steps for functioning amidst the unparalleled situation. Hereby, the Intellectual Property Offices comprising of the Trademark office, Copyright Office, Patent Office, and Design Office have delivered various notifications regarding scheduled hearings and also document compliances.
You can visit their official website to get all the Updates as per your requirements. Moreover, the group of Corpbiz has experienced professionals to help you with the process of trademark Registration inclusive of all the compliances. Our expert will ensure the successful and favorable completion of your work.
Read our article:Advertisement of Trademark Application in Trademark Journal
