Trademarking the Taj

Pravin Anand and Geetanjali Visvanathan share their insights on the trademark protection granted to the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai. 

The year 2017 was witness to yet another crowning jewel in the history of the Taj Mahal Palace with the hotel becoming the first private building in India to be trademarked under the Trade Marks Act, 1999. With this feat, Taj Mahal Palace has joined the ranks of iconic architectural marvels around the world including the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the Sydney Opera House, which have secured intellectual property rights for their distinctive building designs.

The Taj Mahal Palace hotel has always been in the forefront representing India’s rich history and cultural heritage. The hotel which was built even before the Gateway of India in 1903, has been serving as a distinctive symbol of Mumbai’s skyline for more than 114 years. Serving as a triangulation point for the Indian Navy to show the way towards the harbour, the Taj Mahal Palace hotel has come a long way to becoming the most recognizable building in the country.

This article was published in India Business Law Journal.

 

The registration of the Taj Mahal Palace as an image mark has been recognised by India Business Law Journal as a Star Deal in Deals of the Year 2017.