FDI or Foreign Direct Investment in India is an investment in an Indian company made by a foreign company. A foreign investor or company invests in an Indian company to control its ownership through capital instruments. In India, FDI was first introduced in 1991 by the then finance minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Trademark Registration Procedure in India

Trademarks are used to identify a product or design content as legitimate. A brand averts improper competition between companies.

The procedure of Trademark Registration in India

Trademark Registration Procedure in India isn’t a troublesome task. Therefore, getting the trademark is easy with the following steps-

  • The first step toward acquiring a trademark is to find a trademark search.
  • In the second step, the Trade Mark Attorney prepares an application.
  • Then comes the third step. Here, the applicant must make the documentation as per the requirement to apply with the compulsory fee.
  • Later the Trade Mark application, a compulsory examination, is issued by the authority.
  • If, in any case, the examiner of the authority is not perfectly satisfied with the report of the exam, the examiner can appoint a hearing.
  • Post the hearing, the examiner of the authority forwards the application for publication.
  • An opposition notice can be filed if the publication procedure afflicts any person.
  • And the final step is registration. If any opposition or objection is not found against the registration of the Trade Mark during the publication procedure, the trademark then achieves legal certification.

Fee structure of the Trademark Registration Procedure in India

The Trade Mark Registration fees in India for the Government are RS.9000 and RS.4500 for an applicant per class for a company and an applicant per class for an individual.

Validity of a Trade Mark in India

A Trade Mark that is Indian Registered is valid for ten years. It has a further renewal system. The trademark holder will be sent a reminder letter six months before expiry.

Types of Trade Marks in India

There are seven types of Trade Marks recognized in India. They are-

  • Product Mark- A mark that is used on a product
  • Service Mark- A mark to recount a service. It looks similar to the Product Mark.
  • Sound Mark- This is a sound logo that represents the origin of that sound
  • Collective Mark- A mark to describe the product of a group or a collective
  • Shape Mark- Shape Mark is featured to define a form of a product
  • Pattern Mark- For products with specifically designed patterns, Pattern Mark is to mark them.

Research says, in the financial year 2021, around 256 thousand industrial trademarks were registered in India.

Conclusion

In India, a Trade Mark is essential to promote a good or a product. It also provides facts about the products. To protect your brand so that no one else can use the same name or logo as your company, Trade Mark must be registered in India.