RelativegroundsforrefusalofTrademark LogoRegistration
WhenaFirmoraproprietorfilesforaTrademarkLogoRegistrationwiththeIPRAuthorityin India,thefiledapplicationgoesthroughmultiplestages.Theprimarytwostepsaretheprocedure ofapplicationfilingbytheRegistrarandtheAssessmentofthefiledapplicationbythe Examiner
ThelatteriscarriedouttoensurethatthefiledTrademarkdoesnotbeararesemblancewithany ofthepre-existingregisteredtrademarklogos.IncasetheExaminerfindsanysimilarity,thenthe ExaminercanraiseanobjectionwiththeTrademarkProprietor
TheExaminercanrefusetoaccept anapplicationontwogrounds: AbsoluteandRelative.Inthis,the formerrefusalisquiteobviousto theExamineraswellasthe TrademarkApplicant.
But,thelatterone,theRelative GroundsforRefusal,cangetvery obscureandambiguousforthe applicant.
Therefore,wedecidedtowritethis articletodetaileveryaspectofthe relativegroundsofrefusalon whichtheExaminercanrejector objecttoyourapplication.
TrademarkLogoIdentity
AsperthedefinedsectionsoftheTrademarkRegistrationAct,saidsection12,TheRoT,i.e.,the RegistrarofTrademarks,cannotregisterafiledtrademarkinanyofthefollowingcases:
● TheidentityoftheTrademarkissimilartoanexistingTrademark
● FiledTrademark'sgoodsandservicesarecoveredbyanotherTrademark
● TrademarkcausesconfusionamongthegeneralPublic,includingthelikelyassociation witharegisteredtrademark.
CommoditiesofaDifferentProprietor
IfthefiledTrademarkistoberegisteredforgoodsorservicesnotsimilartotheearliertrademark proprietorisregisteredinthenameofadifferentproprietor.Insuchcases,theRegistrarwillnot registersuchLogos.Forawell-knowntrademarkinIndiaandusingthelaterTrademarkwithout theduecause.Insuchasituation,theapplicantproprietorcantakeunfairadvantage,whichwill bedetrimentaltothedistinctivecharacterandtheregisteredTrademark'smarketreputation.
PreventionofTrademarkUsage
TheRegistrarwillnotregisteratrademarkifitsuseinIndiaisliabletobepreventedbyanyof thefollowingreasons:
● LawofpassingoffprotectionagainsttheunregisteredTrademarkinthecourseoftrade
● AspertheLawofcopyright
SpecialCasesofRegistration
NothingcanpreventtheRegistrationofatrademarkiftheProprietoroftheregisteredTrademark consentstothenewRegistration.Insuchcases,theRegistrarcanapprovetheRegistrationunder specialcircumstancesspecifiedinsection12oftheTrademarkRegistrationprocedure.
RegisteredTrademark
Here,theearlierTrademarkisaregisteredtrademark.
EarlierfiledTrademark
Itcanalsobeanapplicationfiledundersection18withanearlierfilingdate.
InternationalRegistration
Further,theearlierTrademarkcanalsobeaninternationalregistrationreferredtoinsection36E oftheTrademarksAct.
Conventional
Application
Itcanalsobeaconventionapplicationreferredtoinsection154,buttheapplicationmusthave itsdateearlierthanthefiledTrademark.Itmustconsiderappropriateprioritiesclaimedinrespect ofthetrademarklogos.
Well-knownTrademarkLogo
image source: freepik
AnyTrademarkonthe dateofaregistration applicationofthefiled Trademarkofthe priority,claimedin respecttothefiled application,isentitled toprotectionisknown asawell-known Trademark.
TheRegistrarcannot refuseaTrademarkof Registrationonthe specifiedgroundsin sub-sections(2)and(3).
However,iftheProprietoroftheearliertrademarkcanobjecttoanyoneormoreofthose groundsinoppositionproceedings.
VerificationofWell-knownTrademarkLogo
TheRegistrar,whiledeterminingwhetheratrademarkiswell-knownornot,cantakeinto accountanyfactthatheconsidersrelevantfordeterminingawell-knowntrademark,suchasthe following:
● RecognitionofthetrademarkinPublic:ThisincludesknowledgeinIndiaobtainedfor trademarkpromotion
● Duration,extentandgeographicalareaofuseofthespecifiedTrademark
● Duration,extentandgeographicalareaoftheTrademarkpromotion:Thisincludesthe following:
o Advertising of goods/services to which the trademark applies
o Publicity of goods/services to which the trademark applies
o Presentation of goods/services to which the trademark applies
o Fairs of goods/services to which the trademark applies
o Exhibition of goods/services to which the trademark applies
● DurationandgeographicalareaofanyRegistrationoftrademarkundertheTrademark Actsothattheyreflectitsuse.
● Recordofsuccessfulenforcementofthetrademarkrights:Itcanbe,inparticular,the extenttowhichthetrademarkhasbeenrecognisedaswell-knownbyaCourtorthe Registrar.