Recent Advances in the Indian Trademarks Office and the Way Forward

The transformation of the Indian IP office in the last year has been exceptional, with many long-needed efforts towards modernization taken. Safir Anand explains.

With its economy booming over the past few years, India has become one of the favoured destinations for multinational companies seeking to create value by developing new markets. With initiatives such as Creative India: Innovative India and Make in India, the government of India has been trying to position itself to be a pro-IP, knowledge-driven economy in protecting and promoting innovation and other IPR in an array of industries.

The transformation of the Indian IP office in the last year has been exceptional. It will not be an exaggeration to state that the long-standing need for simplified and modernized processes has finally transformed into concrete actions being undertaken by the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (CGPDTM). The Trade Marks Registry has also taken positive and strategic steps towards increasing manpower, providing better infrastructure facilities, making technological advancements, etc., which has resulted in better efficiency. Certainly, there have been commendable efforts by the Trade Marks Registry to get rid of the massive back log and get the system up.

In recent months, we have witnessed some radical changes brought about in the IP management system in India by the Trade Marks Registry, starting with the electronic service of examination reports, to the recent initiative of issuing automated registration certificates, faster processing of trademark applications and wider acceptance of “new age” IP, such as the ability to register sound marks, shape and colour marks, a building as a trademark, etc.

This article was published in Asia IP.