A trademark is a visual symbol, which can take the form of a word, name, number, label, color combination, or other distinctive elements used by a business to differentiate its products or services from those of other businesses in the same category. In India, trademarks are officially registered and managed by the Controller General of Patents, Designs, and Trademarks, which falls under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. These trademarks are registered in accordance with the Trademark Act of 1999, granting trademark owners the legal right to seek compensation for losses incurred due to trademark infringements.

Registered trademarks are considered valuable intellectual property assets for a business, serving to protect the brand or symbol associated with their products or services. To be eligible for trademark registration, a trademark must be unique in relation to the products or services offered.

Proposed trademarks that are identical or too similar to existing registered trademarks cannot be registered. Additionally, trademarks that are offensive, overly general, unreliable, lacking uniqueness, or containing protected emblems, among other factors, are ineligible for registration.

Once the trademark registration process is successfully completed, the “®” symbol can be affixed, signifying the trademark’s official registration. This registration is valid for a period of 10 years. Registered trademark owners have the option to renew their trademark registration periodically by filing a renewal application, extending the protection for another 10 years.

Trademark registrations can be facilitated through “Yourlawyer” in various Indian cities, including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and others. Services provided include trademark filing, trademark searches, trademark renewals, patent registrations, and more.