trademarks
Trademark Genericide
A trademark can be referred to as a recognizable sign, word or symbol that can be used to denote and distinguish a specific product or service from others. It can be a word, logo, sound, color or slogan that helps associate a product or service to the company that is manufacturing or providing the…
Metso Outotec Corporation v. the Registrar of Trade Marks
Background The Bombay High Court on October 6, 2021, set aside and quashed the decisions of the Senior Examiner of Trade Marks refusing the mark “SISUPER”. In Metso Outotec Corporation v. the Registrar of Trade Marks, appeals were preferred before the Bombay High Court from orders passed by the…
Britannia Industries v. ITC Ltd & Ors - Deceptively dissimilar?
The Delhi High Court on April 5, 2021 dismissed two applications filed by Britannia Industries against ITC Ltd for alleged trademark infringement and passing off by, Case 1: ITC's ‘Sunfeast Farmlite 5-SeedDigestive’ biscuits of Britannia’s ‘NutriChoice Digestive’ biscuits Case 2: ITC’s ‘Sunfeast…
The dire need for a Post Registration Trademark Audit Program in India
The USPTO’s Post Registration Audit Program Under the USA’s Post Registration Audit Program, a declaration of use must be filed between the fifth and sixth year of the validity of the registration of the trademark. Consequently, a mark may be selected at random, and an audit may be carried out…
Seeking Injunction in a Suit of Infringement and Passing off - Trademarks
Infringement & Passing Off The rights and remedies available under the Trade Marks Act, 1999 are not only limited to registered marks but also extend to unregistered marks. On one hand, an action for infringement provided for under Section 29 of the Act involves establishing issues such as…
Keyword Advertising and Trademarks
In this day and age, internet is a powerful tool for advertising with limitless reach and keyword advertising is the most popular form of digital advertising. It has generated massive revenue streams for search engines offering the service, for instance, Google’s ad revenue amounted to US dollars…
Prosecution history estoppel in India - A suit of armour or a double-edged sword?
Introduction Trademarks have over time, distinguished themselves as the popular kids among the Intellectual Property rights. This is so because they are perhaps the most protected amongst the bundle of IP rights and well, inevitably the face of your business. A trademark builds your brand value by…
Branding Due Diligence - Make it or Break it
“Buyers make most decisions by relying on their two-second first impressions based on stored memories, images and feelings.” – Malcolm Gladwell, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking Most of us know intuitively that first impressions are important. We don’t like to think that we judge a…
Pakistan joins the Madrid Protocol
In a major development, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan acceded to the Madrid Protocol on February 24, 2021, making it the 108th member of the Madrid system which now covers 124 countries in total. Pakistan also becomes the fourth SAARC country to join the Madrid Protocol after…
Trademarks- A sanctioned vent of cultural appropriation-II
Trademark law and combatting Cultural appropriation After a wave of backlash faced by Kim Kardashian and Disney for cultural appropriation, the debate over Trademark law and cultural appropriation awakened. The IP community and the activists stand divided on the issue. While trademark is meant for…