V10
solutionz provides the
professional service for Registration of Trade Mark for Individuals/Firms and Companies
at the earliest possible opportunity. Once a mark is registered, you can prevent
other persons from using the same mark for similar Services.
MEANING
OF TRADEMARK
Trademarks are words, names, symbols, brands, devices, headings, labels,
Signatures, letters or numerals or any combination therefore, used or proposed to
be used by manufactures of goods to identify and to distinguish their goods from
goods manufactured and sold by others. A trademark popularly known as brand name,
is an identification symbol which may be a word, a device, a label or logo etc.
A trademark may be a word, letter a device or numeral or any combination therefore.
It is better if it is simple in design. The ideal word for a trade mark is an invented
word.
BENEFITS OF TRADEMARK
REGISTRATION
Trademark
registration protects the goodwill of a business and also helps to identify and
distinguish the source of the goods or services of one party from those of others.
Trademark registration is an evidence of ownership of the trademark and also constructive
notice nationwide are issued of the trademark owner's claim. Trademark registration
in
Indiacan also be used as a basis for obtaining registration in foreign countries.
TRADEMARK REGISTRATION BY
THE TRADEMARK ACT,19999 &THE TRADE MARKS RULES.2002
Trademark
is a device, brand name, heading, label, signature, word, letter, numeral, shape
of goods, packaging or combination of colours applied to any goods or services in
the course of trade and represents the goodwill attached to the business. It is
in a way the life and blood of the business since in the modern day it is the name
of the business & the goodwill which sells the product or services. The trademark
is a mark which represents and connects the product or services to the proprietor.
Trademarks for Groups of Companies are also registrable. These are registrable under
the Trade Marks Act,1999 & Trade Marks Rules.2002.
ADVANTAGES OF TRADEMARK REGISTRATION
The registration
of a trademark confers on the registered proprietor of the trade mark the exclusive
right to use the trade mark in relation to the goods in respect of which the trade
mark is registered and to obtain the relief in respect of infringement of the trade
mark
by others. The registration
of a trade mark is not compulsory. However, without registration a owner of a trade
mark cannot bring an action for infringement to protect the mark if it is copied
by others. Suing for infringement of a trade mark is much simpler than launching
a common law action for passing off to protect any
unregistered trade
mark.
TYPES OF NAMES THAT CAN BE
TRADEMARKED
A trade mark which
consists of at least one of the following essential particulars:
-
The
name of a company
-
Individual or firm represented in
a particular or special manner
-
The signature of
the applicant for registration
-
One or more invented
words
-
One
or more words having no direct reference to the character or quality of the goods
and not being according to its ordinary signification a geographical name or a surname
or a personal name or any common abbreviation thereof or the name of a section,
caste or tribe in India
-
Any other distinctive trade mark
-
A trade
mark which has acquired distinctiveness by use over a prolonged period of time.
ONLY ONE MARK IS COVERED
IN ONE APPLICATION
A separate application must be filed for each mark the applicant wishes
to register. Likewise, if the applicant wishes to register the same mark in more
than one class, a separate application must be filed for each class.
USING "TM" AND THE REGISTRATION SYMBOL "®" WITH THE MARK
Once you have filed an application for
registration of trademark, the "TM" symbol may be used with the mark. Anyone who
claims rights in a mark may use the TM (trademark) designation with the mark to
alert the public to the claim. However, the registration symbol, ®, may only be
used once the mark is actually registered in the Trademark Registrar's Office. Even
though an application is pending, the registration symbol may not be used before
the mark has actually become registered.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PROTECTION AVAILABLE FOR REGISTERED
TRADEMARKS(INFRINGEMENT ACTION) AND UNREGISTERED TRADEMARKS(ACTION FOR PASSING OFF)
The basic difference between
an infringement action and an action for passing off is that the former is a statutory
remedy and the latter is a common law remedy. Accordingly, in order to establish
infringement with regard to a registered trademark, it is necessary only to establish
that the infringing mark is identical or deceptively similar to the registered mark
and no further proof is required. In the case of a passing off action, proving that
the marks are identical or deceptively similar alone is not sufficient. The use
of the mark should be likely to deceive or cause confusion. Further, in a passing
off action it is necessary to prove that the use of the trademark by the defendant
is likely to cause injury or damage to the plaintiff’s goodwill, whereas in an infringement
suit, the use of the mark by the defendant need not cause any injury to the plaintiff.
However, when a trademark is registered, registration is given only with regard
to a particular category of goods. Protection is, therefore, afforded only to these
goods. In a passing off action, the defendant’s goods need not be the same; it may
be allied or even different.
SERVICE MARK
Service Marks are
marks used in any form of service business where actual goods under that mark are
not traded. Services are identifying the source of Service provided by Company/
Firm/ Individuals. Services are offered and purchased. These marks will now be statutorily
protected under The Trade Marks Act, 1999.
Following Services are now protected as a SERVICE MARK in
INDIA
under The Trademarks Act, 1999.
-
Advertising, Business
Management, Business administration office function
-
Insurance;
financial affairs; monetary affairs; real estate affairs
-
Building
construction; installation services, constructions
-
Transport;
packaging & storage of goods; travel arrangement
-
Education; providing
training; entertainment; sporting & cultural activities
-
Scientific
& technological services, research & design; industrial analysis & research
services; design & development of computer hardware & software; legal services.
Services for providing food & drink; temporary accommodation. Medical services;
veterinary services; hygienic and beauty care for human beings or animals; agriculture,
horticulture and forestry services. Personal and social services rendered by others
to meet the needs of individuals; security services for the protection of property
and individuals.