The intangible creations of the human mind include intellectual property. Copyright and industrial property are two traditional categories of intellectual property (IP). However, industrial property idea includes patents, trademarks, industrial designs, and place of origin designations. Copyright laws safeguard literary, musical, and artistic creations. Intellectual property rights, in general, are a group of exclusive rights granted to the lawful owner.
Trademarks are a part of intellectual property. Any organisation or business may acquire a term, device, name, symbol, or mix of these to set its products apart from rival businesses. Another name for it is the brand name. Any individual, corporation, or other legal organisation may own a trademark.
PATHtoIP® provides you with various alternatives, such as a budget or a search based on a certain criterion, to meet your demands.
Essential Characteristics of a Trademark
A trademark is a graphic used in connection with any goods or services to denote a commercial relationship between goods or services and the user of the mark. A trademark must fulfil the following crucial conditions to fall under the legislative definition:
- It must be a device, brand, heading, label, ticket, name, or an acronym of a name, signature, word, letter, or number shape of goods, packing, a combination of colours, or any combination thereof.
- It must be graphically represented.
- It must be capable of differentiating one person’s goods or services from others.
- It must be applied to or suggested for products or services.
- The mark must be in written or another form of visual representation.
- It must use the mark, availability, or performance of services concerning goods or services.
- The usage must indicate a relationship between goods or services and depend on the circumstances; the party with the right to use the mark must be either an owner or a permitted user.
Types of trademarks
Under the Trademarks Act of 1999, there are several categories of trademarks that can be registered:
Products Mark
A product mark is a category of a trademark applied to a commercial good instead of a service. This trademark primarily indicates the product’s place of origin and aids in preserving the company’s good name. Nestle, Amul, etc., are a few examples.
Service Mark
A service mark is similar to a product mark, except it intends to distinguish the entity’s services rather than its goods. These distinguish the owners of one business from the owners of another.
Collective Mark
A collective mark is registered under the names of organisations or groups. During promotional events, these people educate the audience about the organisation. This mark is utilised when a collection of people jointly protects a service or a collection of commodities. A mark holder may be an organisation, a public institution, or a Section 8 company.
Certification Mark
This mark indicates the product’s origin, quality, material, or other particulars the owner provides. This mark establishes the goods’ quality and value. Electronics, toys, and consumables packed often bear certification stamps.
Process of Trademark Filling
The registration process is first-come, first-served in India. It’s imperative to submit your registration application as soon as you can as a result. It usually takes 2-3 years to register a trademark if a third party does not oppose it. The Controller General of Patents, Trade Marks, Industrial Designs, and Geographical Indications handle trademark applications.
The trademark filing process includes the following steps:
STEP 1: Conduct a Trademark Search
The business owner or a trademark expert must search the database before starting the trademark filing. A trademark search can reveal if a similar or identical trademark was previously registered with the trademark registrar.
Many company owners don’t understand the importance of a TM search. Forgoing a TM search is not adequate if you have a unique brand name in mind.
A trademark search gives you a clear picture of where your trademark stands, determines whether any similar trademarks are currently in use, and occasionally warns you of the possibility of filing a trademark infringement action.
STEP 2: Filing a Trademark
The application for trademark registration may submit to the Trademark Registrar after completing a trademark search.
The proper paperwork and filing fee must accompany all applications for trademark registration. Therefore, our team of experts at PATHtoIP® strives to meet all trademark filing requirements.
The following details are included in a trademark registration application:
- Logo or trademark
- Identification of the trademark owner, including the address
- Classification or Trademark Class
- Trademark used since the date
- Details of the products or services
STEP 3: Trademark Applications Allotment
A trademark application allocation number is assigned within one or two working days of the trademark registration application that has been submitted to the trademark registrar.
STEP 4: Examining Trademarks
After confirming the accuracy of the trademark application, the trademark officer would provide a trademark inspection report. It might take the test anywhere from 12 to 18 months. The examiner may accept the trademark without conditions, subject to or object.
If the trademark is accepted unconditionally, it publishes in the Trademark Journal. If the application is not approved unconditionally, the examination report will specify the conditions that should complete or the objections that must be addressed, with one month to do so.
STEP 5: Trademark Journal Publication
The publication phase incorporates into the trademark registration process to provide anybody with the possibility to contest the trademark registration.
Once the trademark registration is published in a trademark journal, the public may protest if they believe it will harm them. If there is no opposition, the trademark is registered three to four months after publication. If there is an objection, the Registrar holds a fair hearing and decides.
The Trademark Officer will decide whether to accept the trademark registration application based on the hearings and the evidence given.
One can appeal the Trademark Hearing Officer’s decision to the Intellectual Property Appellate Board.
STEP 6: Registering a Trademark
Once the trademark registration application has been granted and published in the Trademark Journal, a registration certificate bearing the Trademark Office’s seal is out.
The owner has an exclusive right to use the mark after receiving the trademark registration certificate, which designates the mark as their registered trademark. You can place the trademark or logo next to the ® sign.
Why Choose PATHtoIP® for Trademark Filing?
A person’s unique rights to goods and services are known as trademarks. When workers economically exploit, the owners can profit. A party possessing trademark rights can sue other parties that infringe on their rights.
We PATHtoIP® make sure to prove our services are created following the client’s demands and a thorough review of the expert, providing the arguments and credentials for your concept. You can count on our visionaries and professionals, who offer an ample range of services to help you turn your idea into a tangible asset.
PATHtoIP® assists you in effortlessly complete the trademark filing application and registration process.
We are a well-known law firm that provides excellent intellectual property services through a skilled team of IP consultants who assist several organisations and inventors.