Trademark Registration Process

Investing your time and money to build a particular brand and seeing the same brand name being used by another, robbing you of your hard-earned brand reputation is not an agreeable state of affairs. Many a time, trademark (TM) owners end up in protracted litigation because when the time was right, they did not do trademark registration in India of their brand name. The Trademark registration process of the brand name is not a difficult task. A few simple steps, as explained below, and you would have the much-needed legal protection of your brand name registration in India.

Step 1: Trademark Search

Many entrepreneurs do not comprehend the importance of a trademark search. Having a unique brand name in mind is not a good enough reason to avoid a trademark search. Therefore, a trademark search helps you to know if there are similar trademarks available, and it gives you a fair picture of where your trademark stands; sometimes, it also gives you a forewarning of the possibility of trademark litigation. Why waste your money in time-consuming trademark litigation later when you can choose to avoid it in the first place?

Step 2: Filing Trademark Application in India

After you are sure that your chosen brand name or logo is not listed in the Trademark Registry India, you can opt for registering the same. The first step is to file a trademark application form at the Trademark Office, India. The Indian trademark offices are located at Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkatta. Nowadays, filing is mostly done online. Once the application is filed, an official receipt is immediately issued for future reference. Further, you can see the trademark status of your application instantly online.

Step 3: TM Examination

After a trademark application is filed, it is examined by the examiner for any discrepancies. The examination might take around 1-2 months. The examiner might accept the trademark absolutely, conditionally, or object.

If accepted unconditionally, the trademark gets published in the Trademark Journal. If not accepted unconditionally, the conditions to be fulfilled or the objections would be mentioned in the examination report, and a month’s time would be given to fulfill the requirements or response to the objections.

Once such a response is accepted, the trademark is published in the Trademark Journal. If the response is not accepted, one can request a hearing. If, in the hearing, the examiner feels that the trademark should be allowed registration, it proceeds for publication in the Trademark Journal.

Step 4: TM Publication

The step of publication is incorporated in the trademark registration procedure so that anyone who objects to the registering of the trademark has the opportunity to oppose the same. If, after four months from publication, there is no opposition, the trademark proceeds for registration. In case there is opposition, there is a fair hearing, and the Registrar gives a decision.

Step 5: Registration Certificate

Once the application proceeds for trademark registration, following publication in Trademark Journal, a registration certificate under the seal of the Trademark Office is issued.

Step 6: Trademark Renewal

The trademark can be renewed perpetually after every ten years. Hence, your logo or brand name registration can be protected perpetually.

As seen in the above, the trademark registration process does not require much effort. It is a simple process but one which is nonetheless very important for brand name registration. We, at Intepat, can help you with the entire process of registration without you worrying about deadlines and responses. Hence, understand the power of your brand name registration and take steps in protecting it today.

To learn how Intepat can help you in protecting your trademark in India, you may visit our comprehensive trademark services. Besides, you may also be interested in reading the below articles:

Summary Article Name Process: Trademark Registration Procedure in India Description Trademark Registration Procedure & Process - Trademark Search, Filing, Examination, Publication, Registration and Renewal

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