THE TRADE AND
MERCHANDISE
MARKS ACT, 1958
CONTENTS
PRELIMINARY
1. Short title, extent and
commencement
2. Definition and
interpretation
3. High Court having
jurisdiction
THE REGISTER AND
CONDITIONS FOR REGISTRATION
5. Trade Marks Registry and
offices thereof
6. The Register of Trade
Marks
7. Part A and Part B of the
register
8. Registration to be in
respect of particular goods
9. Requisites for
registration in Parts A and B of the register
11. Prohibition of registration
of certain marks
12. Prohibition of registration
of identical or deceptively similar trade marks
13. Prohibition of registration of names of chemical elements
14. Use of names and
representations of living persons or person recently dead
15. Registration of parts of
trade marks and of trade marks as a series
16. Registration of trade marks
as associated trade marks
17. Registration of trade marks
subject to disclaimer
PROCEDURE FOR
AND DURATION OF REGISTRATION
18. Application for registration
20. Advertisement of
application
21. Opposition to registration
23. Registration
25. Duration, renewal and
restoration of registration
26. Effect of removal from
register for failure to pay fee for renewal
EFFECT OF
REGISTRATION
27. No action for infringement
of unregistered trade mark
28, Rights conferred by
registration
29. Infringement of trade marks
30. Acts not constituting
infringement
31. Registration to be prima
facie evidence of validity
32. Registration to be
conclusive as to validity after seven years
34. Saving for use of name,
address or description of goods
35. Saving for words used as name
or description of an article or substance
ASSIGNMENT AND
TRANSMISSION
36. Power of registered
proprietor to assign and give receipts
37. Assignability and
transmissibility of registered trade marks
38. Assignability and
transmissibility of unregistered trade marks
39. Restrictions on assignment
or transmission where multiple exclusive rights would be created
41. Conditions for assignment
otherwise than in connection with the goodwill of a business
42. Assignability and
transmissibility of certification trade marks
43. Assignability and
transmissibility of associated trade marks
44. Registration of assignments
and transmissions
USE OF TRADE
MARKS AND REGISTERED USERS
45. Proposed use of trade mark
by company to be formed
46. Removal from register and imposition
of limitation on ground of non-use
47. Defensive registration of
well-known trade marks
48. Registered users
49. Application for
registration as registered users
50. Existing registration of
registered users not to have effect after three years
51. Power of registered user to
take proceedings against infringement
52. Power of Registrar to vary
or cancel registration as registered user
53. Registered user not to have
right of assignment or
54. Use of one of associated or
substantially identical trade marks equivalent to use of another
55. Use of trade mark for
export trade and use when form of trade connection changes
RECTIFICATION AND CORRECTION OF THE REGISTER
56. Power to cancel or vary registration
and to rectify the register
58. Alteration of registered
trade marks
59. Adaptation of entries in
register to amended or substituted classification of goods
CERTIFICATION
TRADE MARKS
60. Certain provisions of this
Act not applicable to certification trade marks
61. Registration of
certification trade marks
62. Application for
registration of certification trade marks
63. Consideration of
application for registration by Central Government
64. Opposition to registration of certification trade marks
65. Deposit of regulation
governing the use of a certification trade mark
66. Rights conferred by
registration of certification trade marks
67. Infringement of certification trade marks
68. Act not constituting
infringement of certification trade marks
69. Cancellation or varying of
registration
70. Registrar to give effect to
orders of Central Government
SPECIAL
PROVISIONS FOR TEXTILE GOODS
71. Textile goods
72. Restriction on registration
of textile goods
73. Refused Textile Marks List
74. Stamping of piece goods,
cotton yarn and thread
75. Determination of character
of textile goods by sampling
OFFENCES,
PENALTIES AND PROCEDURE
76. Meaning of applying trade
marks and trade descriptions
77. Falsifying and falsely
applying trade marks
78. Penalty for applying false
trade marks, trade descriptions, etc.
79. Penalty for selling goods
to which a false trade mark or false trade description is applied
80. Penalty for removing piece
goods, etc., contrary to Sec. 74
81. Penalty for falsely
representing a trade mark as registered
82. Penalty for improperly
describing a place of business as
connected with the Trade Marks Office
83. Penalty for falsification
of entries in the register
84. No offence in certain cases
86. Exemption of certain
persons employed in ordinary course of business
87. Procedure where invalidity
of registration is pleaded by the accused
89. Cognizance of certain
offences
90. Evidence of origin of goods
imported by sea
91. Costs of defence or
prosecution
93. Information as to
commission of offence
94. Punishment of abetment in
India of acts done out of India
95. Instructions by Central
Government as to permissible variations to be observed by Criminal Courts
MISCELLANEOUS
96. Implied warranty on sale of
marked goods
98. Exercise of discretionary
power by Registrar
99. Evidence before the
Registrar
100. Death of party to a
proceeding
101. Extension of time
102. Abandonment
103. Preliminary advice by the
Registrar as to distinctiveness
104. Procedure before Central
Government
105. Suit for infringement, etc.
to be instituted before District Court
106. Reliefs in suits for infringement or for passing off
107. Application for
rectification of register to be made to High Court in certain cases
108. Procedure for application
for rectification before a High Court
109. Appeals
110. Power of High Courts to
make rules
111. Stay of proceedings where
the validity of registration of the trade mark is questioned, etc.
112. Appearance of Registrar in
legal proceedings
113. Costs of Registrar in
proceedings before High Court
114. Registered user to be
impleaded in certain proceedings
115. Evidence of entries in
register, etc., and things done by the Registrar
116. Registrar and other officers
not compellable to produce register etc.
117. Power to require goods to
show indication of origin
118. Power to require information
in respect of imported goods bearing false trade marks
120. Groundless threats of legal
proceedings
121. Address for service
122. Trade usage, etc., to be
taken into consideration
123. Agents
124. Indexes
125. Documents open to public
inspection
126. Reports of Registrar to be
placed before Parliament
127. Fees
128. Savings in respect of certain
matters in Chapter X
129. Declaration as to ownership
of trade mark not registrable under the Indian Registration Act, 1908
131. Special provisions relating
to applications for registration from citizens of convention countries
132. Provision as to reciprocity
133. Power of Central Government
to make rules
134. Laying of rules before
Parliament
135. Amendments
136. Repeals and savings
THE TRADE AND
MERCHANDISE
MARKS ACT, 1958
(Act No. 43 of
1958)
[17th October,
1958]
An Act to provide for the
registration and better protection of trade marks and for the prevention of the
use of fraudulent marks on merchandise
Be it enacted by Parliament in
the Ninth Year of the Republic of India as follows:
CHAPTER I
PRELIMINARY
1. SHORT TITLE EXTENT AND COMMENCEMENT. -
(l) The Act may be called the Trade and
Merchandise Marks Act, 1958.
(2) It extends to the whole of India.1
(3) It shall come into force on such date, 2 as the
Central Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, appoint.
1. Extended to Goa, Daman and Diu by Reg.
12 of 1962, Sec. 3 and Schedule; to Dadra and Nagar Haveli by Reg. 6 of 1963,
Sec. 2 and Sch. 1: to Pondicherry by Reg. 2 of 1963, Sec. 3 and Sch. 1.
2. 25th November 1959. See Gazette of India, Extraordinary, 1959,
Pt. II. Sec. 3(ii), p. 583.
2. DEFINITIONS AND
INTERPRETATION. -
(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise
requires, -
(a) “Assignment” means ail assignment in
writing by act of the parties concerned;
(b) “Associated trade marks” means trade
marks deemed to be, or required to be, registered as associated trade marks
under this Act;
(c) “Certification trade mark” means a mark adapted in relation to any goods to distinguish, in the course of trade, goods certified by any person in respect of origin, material, mode of manufacture, quality, accuracy or other characteristic, from goods not so certified and registrable as such under the provisions of Chapter VIII in respect of' those goods in the name, as proprietor of the certification trade mark, of that person;
(d) “Deceptively similar”. -A mark shall be
deemed to be deceptively similar to another mark if it so nearly resembles that
other mark as to be likely to deceive or cause confusion;
(e) “District Court” has the meaning assigned
to it in the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908);
(f) “False trade description” means-
(i) A trade description which is untrue or
misleading in a material respect as regards the goods to which it is applied;
or
(ii) Any alteration of a trade description as
regards the, goods to which it is applied, whether by way of addition,
effacement or otherwise, where that alteration makes the description untrue or
misleading in a material respect; or
(iii) Any trade description which denotes or implies that there are contained, as regards the goods to which it is applied, more yards or metres than there are contained therein standard
(iv) Any marks or arrangement or combination
thereof applied to goods in such manner as to be likely to lead persons to
believe that the goods are the manufacture or merchandise of some person other
than the person whose merchandise or manufacture they really are-, or
(v) Any false name or initials of a person applied to goods in such manner as; if such name or initials were a trade description in any case where the, name or initials-
(a) Is or are not a trade mark or part of a trade mark; and
(b) Is or are identical with or deceptively similar to the name or initials of a person carrying on business in connection with goods of the same description and who has not, authorised the use of such name, or initials; arid
(c) Is or are either the name or initials of
a fictitious person or of some person or of some person not bona fide carrying
on business in connection with such goods;
And the fact that a trade
description is a trade mark or part of a trade mark shall not prevent such
trade description being a false trade description within the meaning of this
Act',
(g) “Goods” means anything, which is the subject of trade or manufacture;
(h) “High Court” means the High Court having
jurisdiction under Sec. 3;
(i) “Limitations” (with its grammatical variations) means any limitations of the exclusive right to the use of a trade mark given by the registration of a person as proprietor thereof, including limitations of goods to be sold that right as to mode of use, as to use in relation to or otherwise traded in within India, or as to use in relation to goods to be exported to any market outside India;
(j) “Mark” includes a device, brand, heading,
label, ticket, name, signature, word, letter or numeral or any combination
thereof:
(k) “Name” includes any abbreviation of a
name;
(l) “Package” includes any case, box,
container, covering, folder, receptacle, vessel, casket, bottle, wrapper,
label, band, ticket, reel, frame, capsule, cap, lid, stopper and cork;
(m) “Permitted use” in relation to a registered
trade mark, means the use of a trade mark--
(i) By a registered user of the trade mark
in relation to goods--
(a) With which he is connected in the course
of trade; and
(b) In
respect of which the trade mark remains registered for the time being; and
(c) For which he is registered as registered
user; and
(ii) Which complies with any conditions or restrictions to which the registration of the trade mark is subject;
(n) “Prescribed” means, in relation to
proceedings before a High Court, prescribed by rules made by the High Court,
and in other cases, prescribed by rules made under this Act,
(o) “Register” means the Register of Trade
Marks referred to in Sec.6;
(p) “Registered” (with its grammatical variations) means registered under this Act;
(q) “Registered proprietor-”, in relation to a trade mark, means the
person for, the time being entered in the register as proprietor of tile trade
mark;
(r) “Registered trade mark” means a trade
mark that is actually on the register;
(s) “Registered user” means a person who is
for the time being registered as such under Sec. 49;
(t) “Registrar” means the Registrar of Trade
Marks referred to in Sec. 4;
(u) “Trade description,” means any
description, statement or other indication, direct or indirect, -
(i) As to the number, quantity, measure, gauge or weight of any goods; or
(ii) As to the standard of quality of any
goods, according to a classification commonly used or recognised in the trade:
or
(iii) As to fitness for the purposes, strength,
performance or behaviour of any goods, being “drug” as defined in the Drugs
Act, 1940 (23 of 1940), or “food” as defined in the Prevention of Food
Adulteration Act, 1954 (37 of 1954); or
(iv) As to the place or country in which or the
time at which any goods were made or produced; or
(v) As to the name and address or other
indication of the identity of the manufacturer or of the person for whom the
goods are manufactured; or
(vi) As to the mode of manufacture or producing
any goods; or
(vii)
As
to the material of which any goods are composed; or
(viii)
As
to any goods being the subject of an existing patent, privilege or copyright,
And includes-
(a) Any description as to the use of any mark,
which according to the custom of the trade is commonly taken to be an
indication of arty of the above matters:
(b) The description as to any imported goods
contained in a bill of entry or shipping bill;
(c) Any other description, which is likely to
be misunderstood or mistaken for all or any of the said matters;
(v) “Trade mark” means-
(i) In relation to Chapter X (other than Sec. 81), a registered trade mark or a mark used in relation to goods for the purpose of indicating or so as to indicate a connection in the course of trade between the goods and some person having the right as proprietor to use the mark; and
(ii) In relation to the other provisions of this Act, a mark used or proposed to be used in relation to goods for the purpose of indicating or so as to indicate a connection in the course of trade between the goods and some person having the right, either as proprietor or as registered user, to use the mark whether with or without any indication of the identity of that person, and includes a certification trade mark registered as such under the provisions of Chapter VIII;
(w) “Transmission” means transmission by operation of law, devolution on the personal representative of a deceased person and any other mode of transfer, not being assignment;
(x) “Tribunal” means the Registrar or, as the
case may be, the High Court, before which the proceeding concerned is pending.
(2) In this Act, unless the context otherwise
requires, any reference-
(a) To the use of a mark shall be construed as a reference to the use of a printed or other visual representation of the mark;
(b) To the use of a mark in relation to goods
shall be construed as a reference to the use of the mark upon, or in any
physical or in any other relation whatsoever, to such goods;
(c) To a registered trade mark shall be
construed as including a reference to a trade mark registered in Part A of the
register or Part B of the register, as the case may be;
(d) To the Registrar shall be construed as
including a reference to any officer when discharging the functions of the
Registrar in pursuance of sub-section (2) of Sec. 4;
(e) To the Trade Marks Registry shall be
construed as including a reference to any office of the Trade Marks Registry.
3. HGH
COURT HAVING JURISDICTION. -The High Court having
jurisdiction under this Act shall be the High Court within the limits of whose
appellate jurisdiction the office of the Trade Marks Registry referred to in
each of the following cases is situate, namely:
(a) In relation to a trade mark on the
Register of Trade Marks at the commencement of this Act, the office of the
Trade Marks Registry within whose territorial limits the principal place of
business in India of the proprietor of the trade mark as entered in the
register at such commencement is situate;
(b) In relation to a trade mark for which an
application for registration is pending at or is made on or after the
commencement of this Act, the office of the Trade Marks Registry within whose
territorial limits the principal place of business in India of the applicant as
disclosed in his application is situate;
(c) In relation to a trade mark registered in
the names of joint proprietors before the commencement of this Act, the office
of the Trade Marks Registry within whose territorial limits the principal place
of business in India of the proprietor whose name is entered first in the
register at such commencement as having such place of business is situate;
(d) In relation to a trade mark for which an
application for registration in the names of joint proprietors is pending at or
is made on or after the commencement of this Act, the office of the Trade Marks
Registry within whose territorial limits the principal place of business in
India of the proprietor whose name is first mentioned in the said application
as having such place of business is situate;
(e) Where the registered proprietor or the
applicant for registration as aforesaid has no place of business in India or
where none of the jointly registered proprietors or none of the joint
applicants as aforesaid has any place of business in India, the office of Trade
Marks Registry within whose territorial limits-
(i) In relation to a trademark on the Register
of Trade Marks at the commencement of this Act, the place mentioned in the
address for service in India as entered in the register at such commencement;
(ii) In relation to a trade mark for which an
application for registration is pending at or is made on or after such
commencement, the place mentioned in the address for service in India as
specified in the application; is situate
CHAPTER II
THE REGISTER AND
CONDITIONS FOR REGISTRATION
4. REGISTRAR OF TRADE; MARKS. –
(1) The Central Government may, by
notification in the official Gazette, appoint a person to be known as the
Controller-General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, who shall be the 1[Registrar of Trade Marks] for the purposes
of this Act. 2[* * *].
(2) The Central Government may appoint such
other officers with such designations as it thinks fit for the purpose of
discharging, tinder the superintendence and direction of the Registrar, such
functions of the Registrar under this Act as he may from time to time authorise
them to discharge.
1. Subs. by the Repealing and Amending Act,
1960, (58 of 1960), Sec. 3, Sch. 11, for “Registrar” (w.e.f. 20th December,
1960).
2. The words “and the Controller of Patents
and Designs for the purposes of, the Indian Patents and Designs Act, 1911” omitted by the Patents Act, 1970 139 of
1970), Sec. 163 (w.e.f. 20th April 1972).
5. THE MARKS REGISTRY AND OFFICES THEREOF. -
(1) For the purpose of the Act there shall be
established a Registry which shall be known as the Trade Marks Registry.
(2) The head office of the Trade Marks
Registry shall be at such place as the Central Government may specify, and for
the purpose of facilitating the registration of trade marks, there may be
established at such places as the Central Government may think fit branch
offices of the Trade Marks Registry.
(3) The Central Government may, by
notification in the Official Gazette, define the territorial limits within
which an office of the Trade Marks Registry may exercises its functions.
(4) There shall be a seal of the Trade Marks
Registry.
6. THE REGISTER OF TRADE MARKS. -
(1) For the purposes of this Act, a record
called the Register of Trade Marks shall be kept at the head office of the
Trade Marks Registry wherein shall be entered all registered trade marks with
the names, addresses and descriptions of the proprietors, notifications of
assignments and transmissions, the names, addresses and descriptions of
registered users, disclaimers, conditions, limitations and such other matters relating
to registered trade marks as may be prescribed.
(2) No notice of any trust, express, implied,
or constructive, shall be entered in the register and no such notice shall be
receivable by the Registrar.
(3) Subject to the superintendence and
direction of the Central Government, the register shall be kept under the
control and management of the Registrar.
(4) There shall be kept at each branch office
of the Trade Marks Registry a copy of the register and such of the other
documents mentioned in Sec. 125 as the Central Government may, by notification
2 in the Official Gazette, direct.
7. PART A AND PART B OF THE REGISTER. –
(1) The register referred to in Sec. 6 shall
be divided into two parts called respectively Part A and Part B.
(2) The Register of Trade Marks existing at
the commencement of this Act shall be incorporated with and form part of Part A
of the register, and this part shall comprise all trade marks entered in the
Register of Trade Marks existing at the commencement of this Act and all trade
marks which after such commencement may be entered in Part A of the register.
(3) Part B of the register shall comprise all
trade marks which alter the commencement of this Act may be entered in Part B
of the register.
8. REGISTRATION TO BE IN RESPECT OF
PARTICULAR GOODS. -
(1) Trade mark may be registered in respect of any or all of the goods
comprised in a prescribed class of goods.
(2) Any question arising as to the class
within which any goods fall shall be determined by the Registrar whose decision
in the matter shall be final.
1. Vide S.0. 2602, dated 25th
November 1959, Gazette of India, Extraordinary 1959, Pt. II, Sec. 3 p. 583.
2.
Ibid.
9. REQUISITES FOR REGISTRATION IN PARTS A
AND B OF THE REGISTER. -
(1) A trade mark shall not be registered in
Part A of the register unless it contains or consists of at least one of the
following essential particulars, namely:
(a) The name of a company, individual or firm
represented in a special or particular manner;
(b) The signature of the applicant for registration or some predecessor in his business;
(c) One or more invented words;
(d) One or more words having no direct reference to the character or quality of the goods and not being, according to its ordinary signification, a geographical name or a surname or a personal name or any common abbreviation thereof or the name of a sect, caste or tribe in India;
(e) Any other distinctive mark.
(2) A name, signature or word, other than
such as, fall within the descriptions in Cls. (a), (b), (c) and (d) of sub-
section (1) shall not be registrable in Part A of the register except upon
evidence of its distinctiveness.
(3) For the purposes of this Act, the
expression “distinctive” in relation to the goods in respect of which a trade
mark is proposed to be registered, means adapted to distinguish goods with
which the proprietor of the trade mark is or may be connected in the course of
trade from goods in the case of which no such connection subsists either
generally or, where the trade mark is proposed to be registered subject to
limitations, in relation to use within the extent of the registration.
(4) A trade mark shall not be registered in
Part B of the register unless the trade mark in relation to the goods in a
respect of which it is proposed to be registered is distinctive, or is not
distinctive but is capable of distinguishing goods with which the proprietor of
trade mark is or may be connected in the course of trade from goods in the case
of which no such connection subsists, either generally or, where the trade mark
is proposed to be registered subject to limitations, in relation to use within
the extent of the registration.
(5) In determining whether a trademark is distinctive
or is capable of distinguishing as aforesaid, the Tribunal may have regard to
the extent to which-
(a) A trade mark is inherently distinctive or
is inherently capable of distinguishing as aforesaid; and
(b) By reason of the use of the trade mark or of any other circumstances, the trade mark is in fact so adapted to distinguish or is in fact capable of distinguishing as aforesaid.
(6) Subject to the other provisions of this
section, a trade mark in respect of any goods-
(a) Registered in Part A of the register may be registered in Part B of the register; and
(b) Registered in Part B of the register may be registered in Part A of the register;
In the name of the same
proprietor of the same trade mark or any part or parts thereof.
10. LIMITATION
AS TO COLOUR. -
(1) A trade mark may be limited wholly or in
part to one or more specified colours, and any such limitation shall be taken
into consideration by the Tribunal having to decide on the distinctive
character of the trade mark.
(2) So far as a trade mark is registered
without limitation of colour, it shall be deemed to be registered for all
colours.
11. PROHIBITION
OF REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN MARKS. -A mark-
(a) The use of which would be likely to
deceive or cause confusion; or
(b) The use of which would be contrary to any
law for the time being in force; or
(c) Which comprises or contains scandalous or
obscene matter; or
(d) Which comprises or contains any matter
likely to hurt the religious susceptibilities of any class or section of the
citizens of India; or
(e) Which would otherwise be disentitled to
protection in a Court, shall not be registered as a trade mark.
12. PROHIBITION
OF REGISTRATION OF IDENTICAL OR DECEPTIVELY SIMILAR TRADE MARKS. -
(1) Save as provided in subsection (3), no
trade mark shall be registered in respect of any goods or description of goods,
which is identical with or deceptively similar to a trade mark, which is
already registered in the name of different proprietor in respect of the same goods,
or description of goods.
(2) Where separate applications arc made by
different persons to be registered as proprietors respectively of trade marks
which are identical or nearly resemble each other in respect of the same goods
or description of goods, the Registrar may defer the acceptance of the
application or applications hearing a later date until after the determination
of the proceedings in respect of the earlier application, and may dispose of
such application or applications in the light of the evidence tendered in
relation to earlier application and the oppositions thereto, if any.
(3) In case of honest concurrent use or of
other special circumstances which in the opinion of the Registrar, make it
proper so to do, lie may permit the registration by more than one proprietor of
trade marks which are identical or nearly resemble each other whether any such
trade mark is already registered or not) in respect of the same goods or
description of goods, subject to such conditions and limitations, if any, as
the Registrar may think fit to impose.
13. PRORMITION OF REGISTRATION OF NAMES OF
CHEMICAL ELEMENTS. -
(1) No
word which is the commonly used and accepted name of a chemical element or
single chemical compound (as distinguished from a mixture) shall be registered
as a trade mark in respect of a chemical substance or preparation, and any such
registration shall, notwithstanding in Sec. 32, be deemed for the Purpose of
See. 56 to be entry made in the register without sufficient cause or an entry wrongly
remaining on the registers, as the circumstances may require.
(2) This section shall not apply to a word
which is used to denote only a brand or make of the element or compound as made
by the proprietor or a registered user of the trade mark, as distinguished from
the element or compound as made by others, and in association with a suitable
name or description open to the public use.
14. USE 0F NAMES AND REPRESENTATION OF LIVING
PERSONS OR PERSONS RECENTLY DEAD. -Where an application mark
which falsely suggests a connection with any living person, or a person whose
death took place within twenty years
prior to the date of application for registration of the trade mark, the
Registrar may, before he proceeds with
the application, require the applicant to furnish him with the consent in
writing of such living person or as the case may be, of the legal
representative of the deceased person to the connection appearing on the trade
mark, and may refuse to proceed with the application unless the applicant
furnishes the Registrar with such consent.
15. REGISTRATION OF PARTS OF TRADE MARKS AND OF
TRADE MARKS AS A SERIES. -
(1) Where the proprietor of a trade mark
claims to be entitled to the exclusive use of any part thereof separately, he may
apply to register the whole and the part as separate trade marks.
(2) Each such separate trade mark shall
satisfy all the conditions applying to, and have all the incidents of, an
independent trade mark.
(3) Where a person claiming to be the
proprietor of several trade marks in respect of the same goods or description
of goods, which, while resembling each other in the material particulars
thereof, yet differ in respect of-
(a) Statement of the goods in relation to
which they are respectively used or proposed to be used; or
(b) Statements of number, price, quality or
names of places; or
(c) Other matter of a non-distinctive
character, which does not substantially affect the identity of the trade mark;
or
(d) Colour,
Seeks to register those trade
marks; they may be registered as a series in one registration.
16. REGISTRATION
OF TRADE MARKS AS ASSOCIATED TRADE MARKS. -
(1) Where a trade mark which is registered,
or is the subject of an application for registration, in respect of any goods
is identical with another trade mark which is registered, or is the subject of
an application for registration, in the name of the same proprietor in respect
of the same goods or description of goods or so nearly resembles it as to be
likely to deceive or cause confusion if used by a person other than the
proprietor, the Registrar may, at any time, require that the trade marks shall
be entered on the register as associated trade marks.
(2) Where a trade mark and part thereof arc,
in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (1) of Sec. 15, registered as
separate trade marks in the name of the same proprietor, they shall be deemed
to be, and shall be registered as, associated trade marks.
(3) All trade marks registered in accordance
with provisions of sub-section (3) of Sec. 15 as a series in one registration
shall be deemed to be, and shall be registered as, associated trade marks.
(4) On application made in the prescribed
manner by the registered proprietor of two or more trade marks registered as associated
trade marks, the Registrar may dissolve the association as respects any of them
if he is satisfied that there would be no likelihood of deception or confusion
being caused if that trade mark were used by any other person in relation to
any of the goods in respect of which it is registered, and may amend the
register accordingly.
17. REGISTRATION OF TRADE MARKS SUBJECT TO
DISCLAIMER. -If
a trade mark-
(a) Contains any part-
(i) Which is not the subject of a separate application
by the proprietor for registration as a trade mark; or
(ii) Which is not separately registered by the proprietor as a trade mark: or
(b) Contains any matter, which is common to
the trade or is otherwise of a non-distinctive character;
The Tribunal, in deciding
whether the trade mark shall be entered or shall remain on the register, may
require, as a condition of its being on the register, that the proprietor shall
either disclaim any right to the exclusive use of such part or of all or any portion
of such matter, as the case may be, to the exclusive use of which the Tribunal
holds him not to be entitled, or make such other disclaimer as the Tribunal may
consider necessary for the purpose of defining the rights of the proprietor
under the registration:
Provided that no disclaimer
shall affect any rights of the proprietor of a trade mark except such as arise
out of the registration of the trade mark in respect of which the disclaimer is
made.
CHAPTER III
PROCEDURE FOR
AND DURATION OF REGISTRATION
18. APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION. –
(1) Any person claiming to be the proprietor
of a trade mark used or proposed to be used him, who is desirous of registering
it, shall apply in writing to the Registrar in the prescribed manner for the registration
of his trade mark either in Part A or in Part B of the register.
(2) An application shall not be made in
respect of goods comprised in more than one prescribed class of goods.
(3) Every application under sub-section (1)
shall be filed in the office of the Trade Marks Registry within whose
territorial limits the principal place of business in India of the applicant or
in the case of joint applicants the principal place of business in India of the
applicant whose name is first mentioned in the application, as having a place
of business in India is situate:
Provided that where the
applicant or any of the joint applicants does not carry on business in India,
the application shall be filed in the office of the Trade Marks Registry within
whose territorial limits the place mentioned in the, address for service in
India as disclosed in the application, is situate.
(4) Subject to the provisions of this Act,
the Registrar may refuse the application or may accept it absolutely or subject
to such amendments, modifications, conditions or limitations if any, as he may
think fit.
(5) In the case of an application for
registration of a trade mark (other than a. certification trade mark) in Part A
of the register, the Registrar may, if the applicant so desires, instead of
refusing the application, treat it as an application for registration in Part B
of the register and deal with the application accordingly.
(6) In the case of a refusal or conditional
acceptance of an application, the Registrar shall record in writing the grounds
for such refusal or conditional acceptance and the materials used by him in
arriving at his decision.
19. WITBDRAWAL OF ACCEPTANCE.
-Where,
after the acceptance of an application for registration of a trade mark but
before its registration, the Registrar is satisfied-
(a) That the application has been accepted in
error: or
(b) That in the circumstances of the case the
trade mark should not be registered or should be registered subject to the
conditions or limitations or to conditions additional to or different from the
conditions or limitations subject to which the application has been accepted;
the Registrar may, after hearing the applicant if he so desires, withdraw the
acceptance and proceed as if the application had not been accepted.
20. ADVERTISEMENT OF APPLICATION. -
(1) Where an application for registration of a
trade mark has been accepted, whether absolutely or subject to conditions or
limitations the Registrar shall, as soon as may be after acceptance, cause the
application as accepted together with the conditions or limitations, if any,
subject to which it has been accepted, to be advertised in the prescribed
manner:
Provided that the Registrar
may cause the application to be advertised before acceptance if it relates to a
trade mark to which sub-section (2) of Sec. 9 applies or in any other case
where it appears to him that it is expedient by reason of any exceptional
circumstances so to do.
(2) Where-
(a) An application has been advertised before
acceptance under sub-section (1); or
(b) After advertisement of an application, -
(i) An error in the application has been
corrected; -
(ii) The application has been permitted to be
amended under Sec. 22;
The Registrar may in his
discretion cause the application to be advertised again or in any case falling
under Cl. (b) may, instead of causing the application to be advertised again,
notify in the prescribed manner the correction or amendment made in the
application.
21. OPPOSITION TO REGISTRATION. –
(1) Any person may within three months from
the date of the advertisement or re-advertisement of an application for
registration or within such further period, not exceeding one month in the
aggregate, as the Registrar, on application made to him in the prescribed
mariner and on payment of the prescribed fee, allows, give notice in writing in
the prescribed manner to the Registrar, of opposition to the registration.
(2) The Registrar shall serve a copy of the
notice on the applicant for registration and, within two months from the
receipt by the applicant of such copy of the notice of opposition, the
applicant shall send to the Registrar in the prescribed manner a
counter-statement of the grounds on which he relies for his application, and if
he does not do so he shall be deemed to have abandoned his application.
(3) If the applicant sends such
counter-statement the Registrar shall serve a copy thereof on the person giving
notice of opposition.
(4) Any evidence upon which the opponent and
the applicant may rely shall be submitted in the prescribed manner and within
the prescribed time to the Registrar, and the Registrar shall give an
opportunity to them to be heard if they so desire.
(5) The Registrar shall, after hearing the parties,
if so required, and considering the evidence, decide whether and subject to
what conditions of limitations, if any, the registration is to be permitted,
and may take into account a ground of objection whether relied upon by the
opponent or not.
(6) Where a person giving notice of
opposition or an applicant sending a counter-statement after receipt of a copy
of such notice neither reside nor carries On business in India, the Registrar
may require him to give security for the, costs of proceedings before him, and
in default of such security being duly given, may treat the opposition or
application, as the case may be, as abandoned.
22. CORRECTIONS AND AMENDMENT.
- The
Registrar may on such term as he thinks just-
(a) At any time, whether before or after
acceptance of an application for registration under See. 18, permit the
correction of any error in or in connection with the application or permit an
amendment of line application: or
(b) Permit correction of any error in, or an
amendment of, a notice of opposition or a counter-statement under Sec. 21.
(1) Subject to the provisions of Sec. 19, when
an application for registration of a trade mark in Part A or Part B of the
register has been accepted and either-
(a) The application has not been opposed and
the time for notice of opposition has expired, or
(b) The application has been opposed and the
opposition has been decided in favour of the applicant,
The Registrar shall, unless
the Central Government otherwise directs, register the said trade mark in Part
A or Part B of e register, as the case may be, and the trade mark when
registered shall be registered as of the date of the making of the said
application and that date shall, subject to be the, provisions of Sec. 131, be
deemed to be the date of registration.
(2) On the registration of a trade mark, the
Registrar shall issue to the applicant a certificate in the prescribed form of
the registration thereof, sealed with the seal of the Trade Marks Registry.
(3) Where registration of a trade mark is not
completed within twelve months from the date of the application by reason of
default or] the part of the applicant, the Registrar may, after giving notice
to the applicant in the prescribed manner, treat the application as abandoned
unless it is completed within the time specified in that behalf in the notice.
(4) The Registrar may amend the register or a
certificate of registration for the purpose of correcting a clerical error, or
an obvious mistake.
(1) Save as provided in sub-section (2),
nothing in this Act shall authorise the registration of two or more persons who
use a trade mark independently, or propose so to use it, as joint proprietors
thereof.
(2) Where the relations between two or more
persons interested in a trade mark are such that no one of them is entitled as
between himself and the other or others of them to use it except-
(a) On behalf of both or all of them; or
(b) In relation to an article with which both
or all of them are connected in the course of trade;
Those persons may be
registered as joint proprietors of the trade mark, and this Act shall have
effect in to any rights to the use of the trade mark vested in those, persons
as if those rights have been vested in a single person.
25. DURATION,
RENEWAL AND RESTORATION OF REGISTRATION. -
(1) The registration of a trade mark shall be
for a period of seven years, but may be, renewed from time to time in
accordance with the provisions of this section.
(2) The Registrar shall, on application made
by the registered proprietor of a trade mark in the prescribed manner and
within the prescribed period and subject to payment of the prescribed fee,
renew the registration of the trade mark for a period of seven years from the
date of expiration of the original registration or of the last renewal of
registration, as the case may be (which date is in this section referred to as
the expiration of the last registration).
(3) At the prescribed time before the expiration
of the last registration of a trade mark the Registrar shall send notice in the
prescribed manner to the registered proprietor of the date of expiration and
the conditions its to payment of fees and otherwise upon which a renewal of
registration may be obtained, and, if at the expiration of the time prescribed
in that behalf those conditions have not been duly complied with, the Registrar
may remove the trade mark from the register.
(4) Where a trade mark has been removed from
the register for non-payment of the prescribed fee, the Registrar may, within
one year from the expiration of the last registration of trade mark, on receipt
of an application in the prescribed form, if satisfied that it is just so to
do, restore the trade mark to the register and renew the registration of the
trade mark either generally or subject to such conditions or limitations as he
thinks fit to impose, for a period of seven years from the expiration of the
last registration.
26. EFFECT
OF REMOVAL FROM REGISTER FOR FAILURE TO PAY FEE FOR RENEWAL.
-Where a
trade mark has been removed from the register for failure to pay the fee for
renewal, it shall nevertheless, for the purpose of any application for the
registration of another trade mark during one year, next after the date of the
removal, be deemed to be a trade mark already on the register, unless the
Tribunal is satisfied either-
(a) That there has been no bonafide trade use
of the trade mark which has been removed during the two years immediately
preceding its removal; or
(b) That no deception or confusion would be
likely to arise from the use of the trade mark which is the subject of the
application for registration by reason of any previous use of the trade mark
which has been removed.
CHAPTER IV
EFFECT OF
REGISTRATION
27. NO ACTION FOR
INFRINGEMENT OF UNREGISTERED TRADE MARK. -
(1) No person shall be entitled to institute
any proceeding to prevent, or to recover damages for, the infringement of an
unregistered trade mark.
(2) Nothing in this Act shall be deemed to
affect rights of action against any person for passing off goods as the goods
of another person or the remedies in respect thereof.
28. RIGHTS CONFERRED BY REGISTRATION. -
(l) Subject to the other provisions of this
Act, the registration of a trade mark in Part A or Part B of the register
shall, if valid, give to the registered proprietor of the trade mark the
exclusive right to the use of the trade mark in relation to the goods in
respect of which the trade mark is registered and to obtain relief in respect
of infringement of the trade mark in the manner provided by this Act.
(2) The exclusive right to the use of a trade
mark given under sub-section (1) shall be subject to any conditions and
limitations to which the registration is subject.
(3) Where two or more persons are registered
proprietors of trade marks, which are identical with or nearly resemble each
other, the exclusive right to the use of any of those trade marks shall not
(except so far as their respective rights are subject to any conditions or
limitations entered on the register) be deemed to have been acquired by any one
of those persons as against any other of those persons merely by registration
of the trade marks but each of those persons has otherwise the same rights as
against other persons (not being registered users using by way of permitted
use) as he would have if he were the sole registered proprietor.
29. INFRINGEMENT OF TRADE MARKS. -
(1) A registered trade mark is infringed by a
person who, not being the registered proprietor of the trade mark or a
registered user thereof using by way of permitted use, uses in the course of a
trade mark, which is identical with, or deceptively similar to, the trade mark,
in relation to any goods in respect of which the trade mark is registered and
in such manner as render the use of the mark likely to be taken as being used
as a trade mark.
(2) In an action for infringement of a trade
mark registered in Part B of the register an injunction or other relief shall
not be granted to the plaintiff if the defendant establishes to the
satisfaction of the Court that the use of the mark of which the plaintiff
complains is not likely to deceive or cause confusion or to be taken as
indicating a connection in the course of trade between the goods in respect of
which the trade mark is registered and some person having the right, either as
registered proprietor or as registered user, to use the trade mark.
30. ACTS NOT CONSTITUTING INFRINGEMENT. –
(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this
Act, the following acts do not constitute an infringement of the right to the
use of a registered trade mark-
(a) Where a trade mark is registered subject to any conditions or limitations, the use of the trade mark in any manner in relation to goods to be sold or other-wise traded in, in any place, or in relation to goods to be exported to any market, or in any other circumstances, to which, having regard to those conditions or limitations, the registration does not extend:
(b) The use by a person of a trade mark in
relation to goods connected in the course of trade with the proprietor or a
registered user of the trade mark if, as to those goods or a bulk of which they
form part, the registered proprietor or the registered user conforming to the
permitted use has applied the trade mark and has not subsequently removed or
obliterated it, or has at any time expressly or impliedly consented to the use
of the trade mark;
(c) The use of a trade mark by a person in
relation to goods adapted to form part of, or to be accessory to, other goods
in relation to which the trade mark has been used without infringement of the
right given by registration under this Act or might for the time being be so
used, if the use of the trade mark is reasonably necessary in order to indicate
that the goods are so adapted, and neither the purpose nor the effect of the
use of the trade mark is to indicate, otherwise than in accordance with the
fact, a connection in the course of trade between any person and the goods;
(d) The use of a registered trade mark, being
one or two or more trade marks registered under this Act which are identical or
nearly resemble each other, in exercise of the right to the use of that trade
mark given by registration under this Act.
(2) Where
the goods bearing a registered trade mark are lawfully acquired by a person,
the sale of or other dealings in those goods by that person or by a person
claiming under or through him is not an infringement of the trade mark by
reason only of the trade mark having been assigned by the registered proprietor
to some, other person after the acquisition of those goods.
31. REGISTRATION TO BE PRIMA FACIE EVIDENCE OF
VALIDITY. –
(1) In all legal proceedings relating to a
trade mark registered tinder this Act (including applications under Sec. 56),
the original registration of the trade mark and of all subsequent assignments
and transmissions of the trade mark shall be prima facie evidence of the
validity thereof.
(2) In all legal proceedings as aforesaid a
trade mark registered in Part A of the register not be held to be invalid on
the ground that it was not a registrable trade mark under Sec. 9 except upon
evidence of distinctiveness and that such evidence was not submitted to the
Registrar before registration, in all legal proceedings as aforesaid, if it is
proved that the trade mark had been so used by the registered proprietor or his
predecessor-in-title as to have become distinctive at the date of registration.
32. REGISTRATION TO BE CONCLUSIVE AS TO
VALIDITY AFTER SEVEN YEARS. -Subject to the provisions of
Sees. 35 and 46, in all legal proceedings relating to a trade mark registered
in Part A of the register (including applications under Sec. 56) the original
registration of the trade mark shall, after the expiration of seven years from
the date of such registration, be taken to be valid in all respects unless it
is proved-
(a) That the original registration was
obtained by fraud; or
(b) That the trade mark was registered in
contravention of the provisions of Sec. 11 or offends against the provisions of
that section on the date of commencement of the proceedings; or
(c) That the trade mark was not, at the
commencement of the proceedings, distinctive of the goods of the registered
proprietor.
33. SAVING FOR VESTED RIGHTS.
-Nothing
in this Act shall entitle the proprietor or a registered user of a registered
trade mark to interfere with or restrain the use by any person of a trade mark
identical with or nearly resembling in relation to goods in relation to which
that person or a predecessor-in-title of his has continuously used that trade
mark from a date prior-
(a) To the use of the first-mentioned trade
mark in relation to those goods by the proprietor or a predecessor-in-title of
this; or
(b) To the date of registration of the first-
mentioned trade mark in respect of those goods in the name of the proprietor or
a predecessor-in-title of his;
Whichever is tire earlier,
and the Registrar shall not refuse (on such use being proved) to register the
second-mentioned trade mark by reason only of the registration of the
first-mentioned trade mark.
34. SAVING FOR USE OF NAME, ADDRESS OR
DESCRIPTION OF GOODS. – Nothing in this Act shall
entitle the proprietor or a registered user of a registered trade mark to
interfere with any bona fide use by a person of his own name or that of his
place of business, or of the name, or of the name of the place of business, of
any of his predecessors in business, or the use by any person of any bonafide
description of the character or quality of his goods.
35. SAVING
FOR WORDS USED AS NAME OR DESCRIPTION OF AN ARTICLE OR SUBSTANCE. -
(1) The registration of a trade mark shall not
be deemed to have become invalid by reason only of any use after the date of
the registration of any word or words which the trade mark contains or of
which, it consists as the name or description of an article or substance:
Provided that, if it is proved
either-
(a) That there is a well-known and established use of the said word as the name or description of the article or substance by a person or persons carrying on a trade therein, not being used in relation to goods connected in the course of trade with the proprietor or a registered user of the trade mark or (in the case of a certification trade mark) goods certified by the proprietor; or
(b) That the article or substance was
formerly manufactured under a patent, that a period of two years or more after
the cesser of the patent has elapsed, and that the said word is the only
practicable name or description of the article or substance;
The provisions of
sub-section (2) shall apply.
(2) Where the facts mentioned in Cl. (a) or
Cl. (b), of the proviso to sub-section (1) are proved with respect to any
words, then,-
(a) For the purposes of any proceedings under
Sec. 56-
(i) If the trade mark consists solely of
such words, the registration of the trade mark, so far as regards registration
in respect of the article or substance in question or of any goods of the same
description, shall be deemed to be an entry wrongly remaining on the register:
(ii) If the trade mark contains such words and
other matter, the Tribunal in deciding whether the trade mark shall remain on
the register, so far as regards registration in respect of the article or
substance in question and of any goods of the same description, may, in case of
a decision in favour of its remaining on the register require as a condition thereof
that the proprietor shall disclaim any exclusive right to the use in relation
to that article or substance and any goods of the same description, of such
words:
Provided that no disclaimer shall
affect any rights of the proprietor of a trade mark except such as arise out
of' the registration of the trade mark in respect of which the disclaimer is
made;
(b) For the purposes of any other legal
proceeding relating to the trade mark, -
(i) If the trade mark consists solely of such words, all rights of the proprietor under this Act or any other law to the use of the trade mark in relation to the article or substance in question or to any goods of the same description; or
(ii) If the trade mark contains such words and
other matter, all such rights of the proprietor to the use of such words, in
such relation as aforesaid;
Shall be deemed to have
ceased on the date at which the use mentioned in Cl. (a) of the proviso to
sub-section (1), first became well-known and established, or at the expiration
of the period of two years mentioned in Cl. (b) of the said proviso.
CHAPTER V
ASSIGNMENT AND
TRANSMISSION
36. POWER OFREGISTERED PROPRIETOR TO ASSIGN AND
GIVE RECE IPTS. -The person for the time being
entered in the register as proprietor of a trade mark shall, subject to the
provisions of this Act and to any rights appearing from the register to be
vested in any other person, have power to assign the trade mark, and to give
effectual receipts for any consideration for such assignment.
37. ASSIGNABILITY AND TRANSMISSIBILITY OF
RIGISTERED TRADE MARKS. -Notwithstanding anything in
any other law to the contrary, a registered trade mark shall subject to the
provisions of this Chapter, assignable be and transmissible, Whether with or
without the goodwill of the business Concerned and in respect either Of all the
goods in respect of which the trade mark is registered or of Some only of the
those goods.
38. ASSIGNABILITY
AND TRANSMISSIBILITY OF UNREGISTERED TRADE MARKS. -
(1) An unregistered trade Mark shall not be
assignable or transmissible except along with the goodwill of the business
Concerned.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in
sub-section (1), an unregistered trade mark may be assigned or transmitted
otherwise than along with the goodwill of the business concerned if-
(a) At the time of assignment or transmission of the unregistered trade mark, it is used in the same business as a registered trade mark, and
(b) The registered trade mark is assigned or
transmitted at the same time and to the same person as the unregistered trade
mark; and
(c) The unregistered trade mark relates to goods in respect of which the registered trade mark is assigned or transmitted.
39. RESTRICTIONS ON ASSIGNMENT OR TRANSMISSION
WHERE MULTIPLE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT'S WOULD BE CREATED. -
(1) Notwithstanding any thing in secs. 37 and
Sec. 38, a trade mark shall not be assignable or transmissible in a case in
which as a result of the assignment or transmission there would in the
circumstances subsist, whether under this Act or any other law, exclusive
rights in more than one of the persons concerned to the use, in relation to the
same goods or description of goods, of trade marks nearly resembling each other
or of identical trade marks, if, having regard to the similarity of the goods
and of the trade marks, the use of the trade marks in exercise of those rights
would be likely to deceive or cause confusion:
Provided that an assignment
or transmission shall not be deemed to be invalid under this sub-section if the
exclusive rights subsisting as a result thereof in the persons concerned
respectively are, having regard to limitation imposed thereon, such as not to
be exercisable by two or more of those persons in relation to goods to be sold,
or otherwise traded in, within India otherwise than for export therefrom, or in
relation to goods to be exported to the same market outside India.
(2) The proprietor of a registered trade mark
who proposes to assign it may submit
to the Registrar in the prescribed manner a statement of case setting out the
circumstances and the Registrar may issue to him a certificate stating whether,
having regard to the similarity of the goods and of the trade marks referred to
in the case, the proposed assignment would or would not be invalid under
sub-section (1), and a certificate so issued shall, subject to appeal and
unless it is shown that the certificate was obtained by fraud or
misrepresentation, be conclusive as to the validity or invalidity under
sub-section (1) of the assignment in so far as such validity or invalidity
depends upon the facts set out in the case, but, as regards a certificate in
favour of validity, only application for the registration under Sec. 44 of the
title of the person becoming entitled is made within six months from the date
on which the certificate is issued.
40. RESTRICTIONS ON ASSIGNMENT OR TRANSMISSION
WHEN EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS WOULD BE CREATED IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF INDIA.
-Notwithstanding
anything in Sees. 37 and 38, a trade mark shall not be assignable or
transmissible in a case in which as a result of the assignment or transmission
there would in the circumstances subsist, whether under this Act or any other
law, an exclusive right in one of the persons concerned to the use of the trade
mark limited to use in relation to goods to be sold, or otherwise traded in, in
any place in India and an exclusive right in another of these persons to the
use of trade mark nearly resembling the first-mentioned trade mark or of an
identical trade mark in relation to the same goods or description of goods
limited to use in relation to goods to be sold, or otherwise traded in, in any
other place in India:
Provided that in any such
case, on application in the prescribed manner by the proprietor of a trade mark
who proposes to assign it, or by a person who claims that a registered trade
mark has been transmitted to him or to a predecessor-in-title of his since the
commencement of his Act, the Registrar, if he is satisfied that in all the
circumstances the use of the trade mark in exercise of the said rights would
not be contrary to the public interest, may approve the assignment or
transmission, and an assignment or transmission so approved shall not, unless
it is shown that the approval was obtained by fraud or misrepresentation, be
deemed to be invalid under this section or Sec. 39 if application for the
registration under Sec. 44 of the title of the person becoming entitled is made
within six months from the date on which the approval is given or, in case of a
transmission, was made before that date.
41. CONDITIONS
FOR ASSIGNMENT OTHERWISE THAN IN CONNECTION WITH THE GOODWILL OF A BUSINESS.
-Where
an assignment of a trade mark, whether registered, or unregistered, is made
otherwise than in connection with the goodwill of the business in which the
mark has been or is used, the assignment shall not take effect unless the
assignee, not later than the expiration of six months from the date on which
the assignment is made or within such extended period, if any, not exceeding
three months in the aggregate, as the Registrar may allow, applies to the
Registrar for directions with respect to the advertisement of the assignment, and
advertises it in such form and manner and within such period as the Registrar
may direct.
EXPLANATION. -For the purposes of this
section an assignment of a trade mark of the following description shall not be
deemed to be an assignment made otherwise than in connection with the goodwill
of the business in which the mark is used, namely:
(a) An assignment of a trade mark in respect
only of some of the goods for which the trade mark is registered accompanied by
the transfer of the goodwill of the business concerned in those goods only; or
(b) An assignment of a trade mark, which is
used in relation to goods, exported from India if the assignment is accompanied
by the transfer of the goodwill of the export business only.
42. ASSIGNABILITY AND TRANSMISSIBILITY OF
CERTIFICATION TRADES. -A certification trade mark
shall not be assignable or transmissible otherwise than with the consent of the
Central Government, for which application shall be made in writing in the
prescribed manner through the Registrar.
43. ASSIGNABILITY AND TRANSIMSSIBILITY OF
ASSOCIATED TRADE MARKS. -Associated trade marks shall
be assignable and transmissible only as a whole and not separately, but,
subject to the provisions of this Act, they shall for all other purposes, be
deemed to have been registered as separate trade marks.
44. REGISTRATION OF ASSIGNMENTS AND
TRANSMISSIONS. –
(l) Where a person becomes entitled by
assignment or transmission to a registered trade mark, he shall apply in the
prescribed manner to the Registrar to register his title, and the Registrar
shall, on receipt of the application and on proof of title to his satisfaction,
register him as the proprietor of the trade mark in respect of the goods -in
respect of which the assignment or transmission has effect, and shall cause
particulars of the assignment or transmission to be entered on the register:
Provided that where the
validity of an assignment or transmission is in dispute between the parties,
the Registrar may refuse to register the assignment or transmission until the
rights of the parties have been determined by a competent Court.
(2) Except for the purpose of an. application
before the Registrar under subsection (1), or an appeal from an order thereon,
or an application under Sec. 56 or an appeal from an order thereon, a document
or instrument in respect of which no entry has been made in the register in
accordance with sub- section (1) shall not be admitted in evidence by the
Registrar or any Court in proof of title to the trade mark by assignment or
transmission unless the Registrar or the Court, as the case may be, otherwise
directs.
PROVISO TO SEC. 44
(1)-INVESTS RIGHTS TO THE PEGISTRAR. -Its bare perusal would go to show that where the
validity of an assignment or transmission is in dispute between the parties the
Registrar may, in his discretion, refuse to register the assignment or
transmission until the rights of the parties have been determined by a
competent Court. Since the proviso
invests the Registrar with such discretion which in the facts and circumstances
of the case he may or May not exercise.1
1.
BRAKES INTERNATIONAL V. TILAK RAJ
BAGGA, A.I.R. 1998 DELHI 146 AT P. 153.
CHAPTER VI
USE OF TRADE
MARKS AND REGISTERED USERS
45. PROPOSED USE OF TRADE MARK BY COMPANY TO BE
FORMED. -
(1) No application for the registration of a
trade mark in respect of any goods shall be refused, nor shall permission for
such registration be withheld, on the ground only that it appears that the applicant
does not use or propose to use the trade mark, if the Registrar is satisfied
that a company is about to be formed and registered under the Companies Act,
1956 (1 of 1956), and that the applicant intends to assign the trade mark to
that company with a view to the use thereof in relation to those goods by the
company.
(2) The Tribunal may, in a case to which
sub-section (1) applies, require the applicant to give security for the costs
of any proceedings relative to any opposition or appeal, and in default of such
security being duly given may treat the application as abandoned.
(3) Where in a case to which sub-section (1)
applies, a trade mark in respect of any goods registered in the name of an
applicant who relies on intention to assign the trade mark to a company, then,
unless within such period as may be prescribed, or within such further period
not exceeding six months as the Registrar may, on application being made to him
in the prescribed manner, allow, the company has been registered as the
proprietor of the trade mark in respect of those goods, the registration shall
cease to have effect in respect thereof at the expiration of that period, and
the Registrar shall amend the register accordingly.
46. REMOVAL FROM REGISTER AND IMPOSITION OF LIMITATIONS
ON GROUND OF NON-USE. -
(1) Subject to the provisions of Sec. 47, a
registered trade mark may be taken of the register in respect of any of the
goods in respect of which it is registered on application made in the
prescribed manner to the High Court or to the Registrar by any person aggrieved
on the ground either. -
(a) That the trade mark was registered without any bona fide intention on the part of the applicant for registration that it should be used in relation to those goods by him or, in a case to which the provisions of Sec. 45 apply, by the company concerned, arid that there has in fact, been no bona fide use of the trade mark in relation to those goods by any proprietor thereof for the time being up to a date one month before the date of the application; or
(b) That Lip to a date one month before the
date of the application, continuous period of five years or longer has elapsed
during which the trade mark was registered and during which there was no bona
fide use thereof in relation to those goods by any proprietor thereof for the
time being:
Provided that, except where
the applicant has been permitted under sub-section (3) of Sec. 12 to register
an identical or nearly resembling trade mark in respect of the goods in
question or where the Tribunal is of opinion that lie, might properly be
permitted so to register such a trade mark, the Tribunal may refuse an
application under Cl. (a) or Cl. (b) in relation to any goods, if it is shown
that there has been, before the relevant date or during the relevant period, as
the case may be, bonafide use of the
trade mark by any proprietor thereof for the time being in relation to goods of
the same description, being goods in respect of which the trade mark is
registered.
(2) Where in relation to any goods in respect
of which a trade mark is registered-
(a) The circumstances referred to in Cl. (b) of sub-section (1) are shown to exist so far as regards non -use of the traded mark in relation to goods to be sold, or otherwise traded in, in a particular place in India (otherwise than for export from Initial, or in relation to goods to be exported to a particular market outside India; and
(b) A person has been permitted under sub-section
(3) of Sec. 12 to register an identical or nearly resembling trade mark in
respect of those goods under a registration extending to use in rotation to
goods to be so sold, or otherwise traded in, Or in relation to goods to be so
exported, or the Tribunal is of opinion that he might properly be permitted so
to register such a trade mark;
On application by that
person in the prescribed manner to a High Court or to the Registrar, the
Tribunal may impose on the registration of the first-mentioned trade mark such
limitations as it thinks proper for securing that that registration shall cease
to extend to such use.
(3) An applicant shall not be entitled to
rely for the purpose of Cl. (b) of subsection (1) or for the purposes of sub-
section (2) on any non-use of a trade mark which is shown to have been due to
special circumstances in the trade and not to any intention to abandon or not
to use the trade mark in relation to the goods to which the application
relates.
47. DEFENSIVE REGISTRATION OF WELL KNOWN TRADE
MARKS. -
(1). When a trade mark consisting of any
invented word has become so well-known as respects any goods in relation to
which it is registered and has been used, that the use thereof in relation to
other goods would be likely to be taken as indicating a connection in the
course of trade between those goods and a person entitled to use the trade mark
in relation to the first mentioned goods, then, notwithstanding that the
proprietor registered in respect of the first mentioned goods does not use or
propose to use the trade mark in relation to those other goods and
notwithstanding anything in Sec. 46, the mark may, on application in the
prescribed manner by such proprietor, be registered in his name in respect of
those other goods as a defensive trade mark, and while so registered, shall not
be liable to be taken off the register in respect of those goods under the said
section.
(2) The registered proprietor of a trade mark
may apply for the registration thereof in respect of any goods as a defensive
trade mark notwithstanding that it is already registered in his name in respect
of those goods otherwise than as a defensive trade mark, or may apply for the
registration thereof in respect of any goods otherwise than as a defensive
trade mark notwithstanding that it is already registered in his name in respect
of those goods as a defensive trade mark, in lieu in each case of the existing
registration.
(3) A trade mark registered as a defensive
trade mark and that trade mark as otherwise registered in the name of the same
proprietor shall, notwithstanding that the respective registration are in
respect of different goods, be deemed to be and shall be registered as
associated trade marks.
(4) On application made in the prescribed
manner to a High Court or to the Registrar, by any person aggrieved, the
registration of a trade mark as a defensive trade mark may be cancelled on the
ground that the requirements of sub-section (1) are no longer satisfied in
respect of any goods in relation to which the trade mark is registered in the
name of the same proprietor other-wise than as a defensive trade mark, or may
be cancelled as respects any goods in relation to which it is registered as a
defensive trade mark on the ground that there is a no longer any likelihood
that the use of the trade mark in relation to those goods would be taken as
giving the indication mentioned in sub-section (1).
(5) The Registrar may at any time cancel the
registration as a defensive trade mark or a trade mark of which there is no
longer any registration in the name of the same proprietor otherwise than as a
defensive trade mark.
(6) Except as otherwise expressly provided in
this section the provisions of this Act shall apply in respect of the
registration of trade marks as defensive trade marks and of trade marks so
registered as they apply in other cases.
(1) Subject to the provisions of Sec. 49, a
person other than registered proprietor of a trade mark may be registered as
the registered user thereof in respect of any or all of the goods in respect of
which the trade mark is registered otherwise than as a defensive trade mark;
but the Central Government may, by rules made in this behalf, provide that no
application for registration as such shall be entertained unless the agreement
between the parties complies with the conditions laid down in the rules for
preventing trafficking in trade marks.
(2) The permitted use of a trade mark shall
be deemed to be used by the proprietor thereof, and shall be deemed not to be
used by a person other than the proprietor, for the purposes of Sec. 46 or for
any other purpose for which such use is material under this Act or any other
law.
49. APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION AS REGISTERED
USERS. -
(1) Where it is proposed that a person should
be a registered user of a trade mark, the registered proprietor and the
proposed registered user shall jointly apply in writing to the Registrar in the
prescribed manner, and every such application shall be accompanied by-
(i) The agreement in writing or a duly authenticated copy thereof, entered into between the registered proprietor and the proposed registered user with respect to the permitted use of the trade mark: and
(ii) An affidavit made by the registered proprietor or by some person authorised to the satisfaction of the Registrar to act on his behalf, -
(a) Giving particulars of the relationship, existing or proposed, between the proprietor and the proposed registered user, including particulars showing the degree of control by the proprietor over the permitted use which their relationship will confer and whether it is a term of their relationship that the proposed registered user shall be the sole registered user or that there shall be any other restriction to persons for whose registration as registered users application may be made;
(b) Stating the goods in respect of which
registration is proposed;
(c) Stating the conditions or restrictions, if any, proposed with respect to the characteristics of the goods, to the mode or place of permitted use, or to any other matter;
(d) Stating whether the permitted use is to be for a period or without limit of period, and, if for a period, the duration thereof; and
(iii) Such further documents or other evidence as may, be required by the Registrar or as may be prescribed.
(2) When the requirements of sub-section (1)
have been complied with to his satisfaction, the Registrar shall forward the
application together with his report and all the relevant documents to the
Central Government.
(3) On receipt of an application under
sub-section (2), the Central Government, having regard to all the circumstances
of the case and to the interests of the general public, and the development of
any industry, trade or commerce in India, may direct the Registrar-
(a) To refuse the application; or
(b) To accept the application either
absolutely or subject to any conditions, restrictions or limitations which the
Central Government may think proper to impose:
Provided that no direction
for refusing the application or for its acceptance conditionally shall be made
unless the applicant has been given an opportunity of being heard.
(4) The Registrar shall dispose of the
application in accordance with the directions issued by the Central Government
under sub-section (3).
(5) The Central Government and the Registrar
shall, if so requested by the applicant, take steps for securing that
information given for the purposes of an application under this section (other
than matters entered in the register) is not disclosed to rivals in trade.
(6) The Registrar shall issue notice in the
prescribed manner of the registration of a person as a registered user, to the
registered users of the trade mark, if any.
50. EXISTING
REGISTRATION OF REGISTERED USERS NOT TO HAVE EFFECT AFTER THREE YEARS.
-Notwithstanding
anything contained in any law for the time being in force or in any contract or
agreement, every registration made before the commencement of this Act of a
registered user shall cease to have effect after the expiration of three years
from such commencement.
51. POWER
OF REGISTERED USER TO TAKE PROCEEDINGS AGAINST INFRINGEMENT.
-
(l) Subject to any agreement subsisting
between the parties, a registered user of a trade mark shall be entitled to
call upon the proprietor thereof to take proceedings to prevent infringement
thereof and if the proprietor refuses or neglects to do so within three months
after being so called upon, the registered user may institute proceedings for
infringement in his own name as if he were the proprietor, making the
proprietor a defendant.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in any
other law, a proprietor so added, as defendant shall be liable for any costs
unless he enters an appearance and takes part in the proceedings.
52. POWER OF REGISTRAR TO TAKE VARY OR CANCEL
REGISTRATION AS REGISTERED USER. -
(l) Without prejudice the provisions of See.
56, to the registration of a person as a registered user-
(a) May be varied by the Registrar as regards the goods in respect of which or any conditions or restrictions subject to which, it has effect on the application in writing in the prescribed manner of the registered proprietor of the trade mark;
(b) May be cancelled by the Registrar on the
application in writing in the prescribed manner of the registered proprietor or
of the registered user or of any other registered user of the trade mark;
(c) May be cancelled by the Registrar on the
application in writing in the prescribed manner of any person on any of the
following grounds, namely:
(i) That the registered user has used the trade mark otherwise than by way of the permitted use, or in such a way as to cause or to be likely to cause, deception or confusion;
(ii) That the proprietor or the registered
user misrepresented, or failed to disclose, some fact material to the
application for registration, which if accurately represented or disclosed
would have justified the refusal of the application for registration of the
registered user;
(iii) That the circumstances have changed since
the date of registration in such a way that at the date of such application for
cancellation they would have justified the refusal of an application for
registration of the registered user;
(iv) That the registration ought not to have
been effected having regard to rights vested in the applicant by virtue of a
contract in the performance of which he is interested;
(d) May be cancelled by the Registrar of his
own motion or on the application in writing in the prescribed manner of any
person, on the ground that any stipulation in the agreement between the
registered proprietor and the registered user regarding the quality of the
goods in relation to which the trade mark is to be used is either not being
enforced or is not being complied with;
(e) May be cancelled by the Registrar in
respect of any goods in relation to which
the trade mark is no longer registered.
(2) The Registrar shall, before varying any
registration under Cl. (a) of sub-section (1) or canceling any registration on
any of the grounds mentioned in sub-clause (ii) or sub- clause (iii) of
sub-clause (iv) of Cl. (c) of that subsection, forward the application made in
that behalf for the consideration of the Central Government and the Central
Government may, after making such inquiry as it thinks fit, issue such
directions to the Registrar as it thinks fit, and the Registrar shall dispose
of' the application in accordance with such directions.
(3) The Registrar shall issue notice in the
prescribed manner of every application under this section to the registered
proprietor and each registered user (not being the applicant) of trade mark.
53. REGISTERED USER NOT TO HAVE RIGHT OF
ASSIGNMENT OR TRANSMISSION. -Nothing in this Act shall
confer on a registered user of a trade mark any assignable or transmissible
right to the use thereof.
EXPLANATION (1). -The right of a registered
user of a trade mark shall not be deemed to have been assigned or transmitted
within the meaning of this section in the following cases, namely-
(a) Where the registered user being an
individual enters into a partnership with any other person for carrying on the
business concerned; but in any such case the firm may use the trade mark, it'
otherwise in force, only for so long as the registered user is a member of the
firm;
(b) Where the registered user being a firm
subsequently undergoes a change in its constitution; but in any such case the
re-constituted firm may use the trade mark, if otherwise in force, only for so
long as any partner of the original firm at the time on its registration as
registered user, continues to be a partner of the reconstituted firm.
EXPLANATION (2). -For the purpose of Exp. 1,
“firm” has the same meaning as in the Indian Partnership Act, 1932 (9 of'
1932).
54. USE OF ONE OF ASSOCIATED OR SUBSTANTIALLY
IDENTICAL TRADE EQUIVALENT TO USE OF ANOTHER.
-
(l) Where under the provisions of this Act
use of a registered trade mark is required to be proved for any purpose, the
Tribunal may, if and so far as it shall think right, accept use of registered
associated trade mark, or of the trade mark with additions or alterations not
substantially affecting its identity as an equivalent for the use required to
be proved.
(2) The use of the whole of a registered
trade mark shall for the purposes of this Act be deemed to be also a use of any
trade mark being a part thereof and registered in accordance with sub- section
(1) of Sec. 15 in the name of the same proprietor.
55. USE OF TRADE MARK FOR EXPORT, TRADE AND USE
WHEN FORM OF TRADE CONNECTION CHANGES. -
(1) The application in India of trade mark to
goods to be exported from India and any other act done in India in relation to
goods to be so exported which, if done in relation to goods to be sold or
otherwise traded in within India would constitute use of a trade mark therein,
shall be deemed to constitute use of the trade mark in relation to those goods
for any purpose for which such use is material under this Act or any other law.
(2)
The
use of a registered trade mark in relation to goods between which and the
person using the mark any form of connection in the course of trade subsists
shall not be deemed to be likely to cause deception or confusion on the ground
only that the mark has been or is used in relation to goods between which and
the said person or a predecessor-in-title of that person a different form of
connection in the course of trade subsisted or subsists.
CHAPTER VII
RECTIFICATION AND CORRECTION OF THE REGISTER
56. POWER TO CANCEL OR VARY REGISTRATION AND TO RECTIFY
THE REGISTER. –
(l) Or
application made in the prescribed manner to a High Court or to the Registrar
by any person aggrieved, the Tribunal may make such order as it may think fit
for canceling or varying the registration of a trade mark on the ground of any
contravention, or failure to observe a condition entered on the register in
relation thereto.
(2) Any person aggrieved by the absence or
omission from the register of any entry or by any entry made in the register
without sufficient cause, or by any entry wrongly remaining on the register, or
by any error or defect in any entry in the register, may apply in the
prescribed manner to a High Court or to the Registrar, and the Tribunal may
make such order for making, expunging or varying the entry as it may think fit.
(3) The Tribunal may in any proceeding under
this section decide any question that may be necessary or expedient to decide
in connection with the rectification of the register.
(4) The Tribunal, of its own motion, may,
after giving notice in the prescribed manner to the parties concerned and after
giving them an opportunity of being heard, make any order referred to in
sub-section (1) or sub-section (2).
(5) Any order of the High Court rectifying
the register shall direct that notice of the rectification shall be served upon
the Registrar in the prescribed manner who shall upon receipt of such notice
rectify the register accordingly.
(6) The power to rectify the register
conferred by this section shall include the power to remove a trade mark
registered in Part A of the register to Part B of the register.
(l) The Registrar may, on application made
in the prescribed manner by the registered
proprietor,-
(a) Correct any error in the name, address or description of the registered proprietor of a trade mark, or any other entry relating to the trade mark;
(b) Enter any change in the name, address and
description of the person who is retgistered as proprietor of a trade mark;
(c) Cancel the entry of a trade mark on the
register:
(d) Strike out any goods or classes of goods
from those in respect of which a trade mark is registered;
(e) Enter a disclaimer or memorandum relating to a trade mark which does not in any way extend the rights given by the existing registration of the trade mark, and may make any consequential amendment or alteration in the certificate of registration, and for that purpose, may require the certificate of registration to be produced to him.
(2) The
Registrar may, on application made in the prescribed manner by a registered
user of a trade mark, and after notice to the registered proprietor, correct
any error, or enter any change, in the name, address or description of the
registered user.
58. ALTERATION OF REGISTERED TRADE MARKS.-
(1) The registered proprietor of trade mark
may apply in the prescribed manner to the Registrar for leave to add to or
alter the trade mark in any manner not substantially affecting the identity
thereof, and the Registrar may refuse leave or may grant it on such terms and
subject to such limitations as he may think fit.
(2) The Registrar may cause an application
under this section to be advertised in the prescribed manner in any case where
it appears to him that it is expedient so to do, and where he does so, if
within the prescribed time from the date of the advertisement any person gives
notice to the Registrar in the prescribed manner of opposition to the
application, the Registrar shall, after hearing the parties if so required,
decide the matter.
(3) Where leave is granted under this
section, the trade mark as altered shall be advertised in the prescribed
manner, unless the application has already been advertised under sub-section
(2).
59. ADAPTATION OF ENTRIES IN REGISTER TO
AMENDED OR SUBSTITUTED CLASSIFICATION OF GOODS.
-
(1) The Registrar shall not, in exercise of
any power conferred on him by rules made with reference to Cl. (a) of sub-
section (2) of Sec. 133, make any amendment of the register which would have
the effect of adding any goods or class of goods to those in respect of which a
trade mark is registered (whether in one or more classes) immediately before
the amendment is to be made or of antedating the registration of a trade mark
in respect of any goods:
Provided that this
sub-section shall not apply when the Registrar is satisfied that compliance
therewith would involve undue complexity and that the addition or antedating,
as case may be, would not affect any substantial quantity of goods and would
riot substantially prejudice the rights of any person.
(2) A proposal so to amend the register shall
be notified to the registered proprietor of the trade mark affected and
advertised in the prescribed manner, and may be opposed before the Registrar by
any person aggrieved on the ground that the proposed amendment contravenes the
provision of' sub-section (1).
CHAPTER VIII
CERTIFICATION TRADE MARKS
60. CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT NOT
APPLICABLE TO CERTIFICATION TRADE MARK..-The following provisions of
this Act shall not apply to certification trade marks, that is to say,-
(a) Section 9;
(b) Sections 18, 20 and 21, except as
expressly applied by this Chapter;
(c) Sections 28, 29, 30, 39, 40, 41, 45, 46,
47, 48, 49, 51, 52, 53, and sub-section (2) of Sec. 55;
(d) Chapter X, except Sec. 8 1;
(e) Any provision the operation of which is
limited by the terms
61. REGISTRATION OF CERTIFICATION TRADE MARK. –
(1) A certification trade mark shall be
registrable only in Part A of the register.
(2) A mark shall not be registrable as a
certification trade mark in the name of a person who carries on a trade- in
goods of the kind certified.
(3) In determining whether a certification
trade mark is adapted to distinguish in accordance with the provisions of Cl.
(c) of sub-section (1) of Sec. 2, the Tribunal may have regard to the extent to
which-
(a)
The
mark is inherently so adapted distinguish in relation to the goods in question;
and
(b) by reason of the use of the mark or of any
other circumstances, mark is in fact so adapted to distinguish in relation to
the goods in question.
62. APPLICATION F'OR REGISTRATION OF
CERTIFICATION TRADE MARKS.
(1) An application for the registration of a
mark as a certification trade mark shall be made to the Registrar in writing in
the prescribed manner by the person proposed to be registered as the proprietor
thereof, and accompanied by a draft of the regulations to be deposited under
Sec. 65.
(2) Subject to the provisions of Sec. 6 1,
the provisions of sub-sections (1), (2), (3), (4) and (6) of Sec. 18 and of
Sec. 19 and 22 shall apply in relation to an application under this section as
they apply in relation to an application under this section as they apply in
relation to an application under Sec. 18, subject to the modification that
references therein to acceptance of an application shall be construed as
references to authorisation to proceed with an application.
(3) In dealing under the said provisions with
an application under this section, the Tribunal shall have regard to the like
considerations so far as relevant, as if the application were an application
under Sec. 18 and to any other considerations (not being matters within the
competence of the Central Government under Sec. 63) relevant to applications
under this section, including the desirability of securing that a certification
trade mark shall comprise some indication that it is a certification trade
mark.
63. CONSLDERATION OF APPLICATION FOR
REGISTRATION BY CENTRAL GOVERNMENT.-
(l) When authorisation to proceed with an
application under Sec. 62 has been given, the Registrar shall forward the application
to the Central Government.
(2) The Central Government shall consider the
application so forwarded with regard to the following matters, namely;
(a) Whether the applicant is competent to
certify the goods in respect of which the mark is to be registered;
(b) Whether the draft of the regulation to be
deposited under Sec. 65 is satisfactory:
(c) Whether in all the circumstances the
registration applied for would be to the public advantage, and may either-
(i) Direct that the application shall not be
accepted; or
(ii) Direct the Registrar to accept the application and approve the said draft of the regulations either without modification and unconditionally or subject to any conditions of limitations, or to any amendments or modification of the application or of the regulations, which it thinks requisite having regard to any of the said matters.
(3) Except in the case of a direction for
acceptance and approval without modification and unconditionally the Central
Government shall not decide any matter under sub-section (2) without giving to
the applicant an opportunity of being heard.
(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in
this section, the Central Government may, at the request of the applicant made
through the Registrar, consider the application with regard to any of the
matters referred to in sub-section (2) before authorisation to proceed with the
application is given, but the Central Government shall be at liberty to
re-consider any matter on which it has given a decision under this sub-section
if any amendment of modification is thereafter made in the application or in
the draft of the regulations.
64. OPPOSITION TO REGISTRATION OF
CERTIFICATION TRADE MARKS.
(1) When an application has been accepted, the
Registrar shall, as soon as may be thereafter, cause the application as
accepted to be advertised in the prescribed manner, and the provisions of Sec.
21 shall apply in relation to the registration of the mark as they apply in
relation to an application under Sec. 18.
(2) In deciding any matter relating to
opposition proceedings under the provisions aforesaid the Tribunal shall have
regard only to the considerations referred to in sub-section (3) of Sec. 62,
and a decision under the said provisions in favour of the applicant shall be
conditional on the determination in his favour by the Central Government under
sub-section (3) of this section of any opposition relating to any of the
matters referred to in Sec. 63.
(3) When notice of opposition is given
relating to any of the matters referred to in Sec. 63, the Central Government
shall, after hearing the parties, if so required by them, and considering any
evidence and having regard to the matters aforesaid, direct the Registrar-
(a) To refuse registration; or
(b) To register the mark either absolutely or
subject to such conditions or limitations, or amendments or mofidications of
the application or of the regulations to be deposited under Sec. 65, as the
Central Government may think proper to impose or make, and the Registrar shall
dispose of the matter in accordance with the directions issued by the Central
Government under this sub- section.
65. DEPOSIT
OF REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE USE OF A CERTLFICATIONT TRADE MARKS.-
(1) There shall be deposited at the Trade
Marks Registry in respect of every mark registered as a certification trade
mark regulation approved by the Central Government for governing the use
thereof, which shall include provisions as to the cases in which the proprietor
is to certify goods and to authorise the use of the certification trade mark,
and may contain any other provisions which the Central Government may, by
general or special order, require or permit to be inserted therein (including
provisions conferring a right of appeal to the Registrar against any refusal of
the proprietor to certify goods or to authorise the use of the certification
trade mark in accordance with the regulations); and regulations so deposited
shall be open to inspection in like manner as the register.
(2) The regulation so deposited may on the
application of the registered proprietor be altered by the Registrar with the
consent of the Central Government.
(3) The Central Government may cause such
application to be advertised in any case where it appears to it does so, if
within the time specified in the advertisement any person gives notice of
opposition to the application, the Central Government shall not decide the
matter without giving the parties an opportunity of being heard.
66. RIGHTS
CONFERRED BY REGISTRATION OF CERTLFICATION TRADE MARKS. -
(1) Subject to the provisions of Sees. 33, 34
and 68, the registration of a person as proprietor of a certification trade
mark in respect of any goods shall, if valid, give to that person the exclusive
right to the use of the mark in relation to those goods.
(2) The exclusive tight to the use of a
certification trade mark given under
sub-section (1) shall be subject to any conditions and limitations to which the
registration is subject.
67. INFRINGEMENTS OF CERTIFICATION TRADE MARKS.-The right conferred by
Sec. person
who, not being the registered proprietor mark or a person authorised by him in
that behalf under regulations deposited under Sec. 65, using it in accordance
therewith, uses in the course of trade, a mark which is identical with or
deceptively similar to, the certification trade mark in relation to any goods
in respect of which it is registered,
and in such manner as to render the use of the mark, likely to be taken as
being used as a trade mark .
68. ACTS NOT CONSTITUTING IIVPRNVGEMENT OF
CERTIFTCATION TRADE MARKS.-
(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this
Act, the following acts do not constitute an infringement of the right to the
use of registered certification trade marks:
(a) Where a certification trade mark is registered subject to any conditions or limitations entered on the register, the use of any such mark in any mode, in relation to goods to be sold or otherwise traded in any place, or in relation to goods to be exported to any market or in any other circumstances, to which having regard to any such limitations, the registration does not extend;
(b) The use of a certification trade mark in
relation to goods certified by the proprietor of the mark if, as to those goods
or a bulk of which they form part, the proprietor or another in accordance with
his authorisation under the relevant regulations has applied tile mark and has
not subsequently removed or obliterated it, or the proprietor has at any time
expressly or impliedly consented to the use of the mark;
(c) The use of a certification trade mark in
relation goods adapted to form part of, or to be accessory to, other goods in
relation to which the mark has been used without infringement of the right
given as aforesaid or might for the time being be so used, if the use of the
mark is reasonably necessary in order to indicate that the goods are so adapted
and neither the purpose nor the effect of the use of mark to indicate otherwise
than in accordance with the fact that the goods are certified by the
proprietor.
(2) Clause (b) of sub-section (1) shall not apply to the case of use consisting of the application of a certification trade mark to goods, notwithstanding that they are such goods as are mentioned in that clause if such application is contrary to the regulations refered to in that clause.
(3) Where a certification trade mark is one
of two or more trade marks registered under this Act, which are identical or
nearly resemble each other, the use of any of those trade marks in exercise of
the right to the use of that trade mark given by registration, shall not be
deemed to be an infringement of the right so given to the use of any other of
those trade marks.
69. CANCELLATION OR VARYING OF REGISTRATION -The Central Government may,
on the application in the prescribed manner of any person aggrieved or on the
recommendation of the Registrar, and after giving the proprietor an opportunity
of opposing the application or recommendation, make such order as it thinks fit
for expunging or varying any entry in the register relating to a certification
trade mark, or for varying the deposited regulations, on any of the following
grounds, namely:
(a) That the proprietor is no longer
competent, in the case of any of the goods in respect of which the mark is
registered, to certify those goods;
(b) That the proprietor has failed to observe
any provisions of the deposited regulations to be observed on his part;
(c) That it is so longer to the public
advantage that the mark should remain registered;
(d) That it is requisite for the public
advantage that, if the mark remains registered, the regulations should be
varied. and neither a High Court nor the Registrar shall have any jurisdiction to
make an order under Sec. 56 on any of those grounds
.
70. REGISTRAR TO GIVE EFFECT TO ORDERS OF
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT.-The Registrar shall rectify
the register and the deposited regulations in such manner as may be requisite
for giving effect to an order made by the Central Government under Sec. 69.
CHAPTER IX
SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR TEXTILE GOODS
71. TEXTILE GOODS.-The Central Government may prescribe classes of goods (in this Chapter
referred to as textile goods) to the trade marks used in relation to which the
provisions of this Chapter shall apply; and subject to the said provisions, the
other provisions of this Act shall apply to such trade marks as they apply to
trade marks used in relation to other classes of goods.
72. RESTRICTION ON REGISTRATION OF TEXTILE
GOODS.-
(l) In respect of textile goods being piece
goods-
(a) No mark consisting of a line heading
alone shall be registrable as a trade mark;
(b) A line heading shall not be deemed to be
adapted to distinguish;
(c) The registration of a trade mark shall not give any exclusive right to the use of a line heading.
(2)
In
respect of any textile goods the registration of letters of numerals, or any
combination thereof, shall be subject to such conditions and restrictions as
may be prescribed.
73. REFUSED
TEXTILE MARKS LIST.-
(1) No addition shall, after the
commencements of this Act, be made to the Refused Textile Marks List maintained
under the Trade Marks ACT, 1940 (5 OF 1940).
(2) A mark already entered on the Refused
Textile Marks List may, however, be continued to be so entered:
Provided that an application
therefor is made in the prescribed manner and with the prescribed fee within
one year after the commencement of this Act, in which case it will be retained
in the List for a period of Seven years from the date of the application.
74. STAMPING OF PIECE GOODS, COTTON YARN AND
THREAD.-
(1) Piece goods, such as, are ordinarily sold
by length or by the piece, which have been manufactured, bleached, dyed,
-printed or finished in premises which are a factory, as defined in the
Factories Act, 1948 (63 of 1948), shall not be removed for sale from the last
of such premises in which they underwent any of the said processes without
having conspicuously stamped in international form of' Indian numerals on each
piece the length thereof in standard yards, or in standard yards and a fraction
of such a yard, or in standard metres, or in standard metres and a fraction of
such a metre, according to the real length of the piece, and, except when the
goods are sold from the factory for export from India, without being
conspicuously marked on each piece with the name of the manufacturer or of the
occupier of the premises in which tile piece was finally processed or of the
wholesale purchaser in India of the piece.
(2) Cotton yarn such as is ordinarily sold in
bundles, and cotton thread, namely, sewing, darning crochet or handicraft
thread, which have been manufactured, bleached, dyed or finished in any
premises not exempted by the rules made under Sec. 75 shall not be removed for
sale from those premises unless, in accordance with the said rules in the case
of yarn-
(a) The bundles are conspicuously marked with an indication of the weight of yarn in the English or the metric system in each bundle; and
(b) The count of the yarn contained in the
bundle and in the case of thread each unit is conspicuously marked with the
length or weight of thread in the unit and in such other manner as may be
required by the said rules, and
(c) Except where the goods are sold from the premises for export from India, unless each bundle or unit is conspicuously marked with the name of the manufacturer or of the wholesale purchaser in India of the goods:
Provided that the rules made
under Sec. 75 shall exempt all premises where the work is done by members of
one family with or without the assistance of not more than ten other employees,
and all premises controlled by a cooperative society where not more than twenty
workers are employed in the premises.
75. DETERMINATION
OF CHARACTER OF TEXTILE GOODS BY SAMPLING.
(1) For the purposes of this Act, the Central
Government may make rules,-
(a) T provide, with respect to any goods which purport or are alleged to be of uniform number, quantity, measure, gauge or weight, for the number of samples to be selected and tested and for the selection of the samples;
(b) To provide for the, manner in which for
the purposes of Sec. 74 cotton yarn and cotton thread shall be marked with the
particulars required by that section, and for the exemption of certain premises
used for the manufacture, bleaching, dyeing or finishing of cotton. yarn or
cotton thread from the provisions of that section: and
(c) declaring what classes of goods are
included in the expression “piece goods such as are ordinary sold by length or
by the piece” for the purpose of Sec. 74 of this Act or Sec. 18 of the Sea
Customs Act, 1878 (S of 1878).
(2) With respect to any goods for the
selection and testing of samples of which provision is not made in any rules
for the time being in force under sub-section (1), the Court or officer of
customs, as the case may be, having occasion to ascertain the number, quantity,
measure, gauge or weight of the goods, shall, by order in writing, determine
the number of samples to be selected and tested and the manner in which the
samples are to be selected.
(3) The average of the results of the testing
in pursuance of rules under sub-section (1) or of an order under sub-section
(2) shall be prima facie evidence of the number, quantity, measure, gauge or
weight, as the case may be, of the goods.
(4) If a person having any claim to, or in
relation to, any -goods of which samples have been selected and tested in
pursuance of rules under sub-section (2), or of an order under sub-section (1),
desires that any further samples of the goods be selected and tested, such
further samples shall, on his written application and on the payment in advance
by him to the Court or officer of customs, as the case may be, of such sums for
defraying the cost of the further selection and testing as the Court or officer
may from time to time require, be selected and tested to such extent as may be
permitted by rules made by the Central Government in this behalf or as, in the
case of goods with respect to which provision is not made in such rules, the
Court or officer of customs may determine in the circumstances to be
reasonable, the samples being selected in the manner prescribed under
sub-section (1), or in sub-section (2), as the case may be.
(5) The average of the results of the testing
referred to in sub- section (3)and of the further testing under sub-section (4)
shall be conclusive proof of the number, quantity, measure, gauge or weight, as
the case may be, of the goods.
CHAPTER X
OFFENCES, PENALTIES AND PROCEDURE
76. MEANING OF APPLYING TRADE MARKS AND TRADE
DESCRIPTIONS
(1) A
person shall be
deemed to apply a trade mark or mark or: trade description to goods who-
(a) Applies it to the goods themselves; or
(b) Applies it to any package in or with
which the goods are sold, or exposed for sale, or had in possession for sale or
for any purpose of trade or manufacture; or
(c) Places, encloses, or annexes any goods
which are sold, or exposed for sale, or had in possession for sale or for any
purpose of trade or manufacture, in or with any package or other thing to which
a trade mark or mark or trade description has been applied; or
(d) Uses a trade mark or mark or trade description in any manner reasonably likely to lead to the belief that the goods in connection with which it is used are designated or described by that trade mark or mark or trade description; or
(e)
In
relation to the goods uses a trade mark or trade description in any sign,
advertisement, invoice, catalogue, business letter, business Paper, price list,
or other Commercial document, and good
are reference to the trade mark or trade description as so used.
(2)
A trade mark or mark or trade description shall be deemed to be applied to goods
whether it is woven in, impressed on, or otherwise worked into, or annexed or
affixed to, the goods or to any package or other thing.
77. PALSLFYING AND FALSELY APPLYING TRADE MARKS.-
(1) A person
shall be deemed to falsify a trade mark
who, either,-
(a) Without the assent. of the proprietor of
the trade nearly makes that trade mark or a deceptively similar mark: or
(b) Falsifies any genuine trade mark, whether
by alteration, addition, effacement or otherwise.
(2) A person shall be deemed to falsely apply
to goods a trade mark who, without the assent of the proprietor of the trade
mark,-
(a) Applies such trade mark or a deceptively
similar mark, to goods or any package containing goods;
(b) Uses any package bearing a mark which is identical with or deceptively similar to the trade mark of such proprietor, for the purpose of packing, filling, or wrapping therein any goods other than the genuine goods Of the proprietor of the trade mark.
(3) Any trade mark falsified as mentioned in
sub-section (1) or falsely applied as mentioned in sub-section (2), is in this
Act referred to as a false trade mark.
(4) In any prosecution for falsifying a trade
mark or falsely applying a trade mark to goods, the burden of proving the
assent of the proprietor shall lie on the accused.
78. PENALTY FOR APPLYING FALSE TRADE MARKS, TRADE DESCRIPTIONS, ETC.-
(a) Falsifies any trade mark; or
(b) Falsely applies to goods any trade mark;
or
(c) Makes, dispose of, or has in his possession,
any die, block, machine, plate or other instrument for the purpose of
falsifying, or of being used for falsifying, a trade, mark; or -
(d) Applies any false trade description to
goods, or
(e) Applies to any goods to which an
indication of the country or place in which they were made or produced or the
name and address of the manufacturer or person for whom the goods are
manufactured is required to be applied under See. 1 17, a false indication of
such country, place, name or address; or
(f) Tampers with, alters or effaces an
indication of origin which has been applied to any goods to which it is
required to be applied under Sec. 1 17; or
(g) Causes any of the things above mentioned
in this section to lie done, shall, unless he proves that he acted without
intent to defraud, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend
to two years, or with fine, or with both:
Provided that where the
offence under this section is in relation to goods or any package containing
goods which are drugs within 'the Hearing of Cl. (b) o(Sec. 3 of the Drugs and
Cosmetics Act, 1940 (23 of 1940) or “food” as defined in Cl. (v) of 'Sec. 2 of
the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 (37 of 1954) the offender shall
be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or
with fine, or with both.
APPLICABILITY
OF SEC. 300-(I), CR.P. C.-In the instant case, the seizure of different
bundles of beedies from the premises in question indicates that the person
responsible for manufacturing those beedies was guilty of violating three
different registered trade marks. The
infringement of such trade mark was a separate and distinct offence under Sees.
78 and 79 of the Trade and Merchandise Marks Act, 1958. That being so, the learned Magistrate was
clearly in error in coming to the conclusion that sub-section (1) of Sec. 300
of the Code was attracted. In fact, the
accused were never tried nor could they have been tried for the infringement of
the trade mark belonging to the petitioner's principal in the earlier two
cases. Those two cases dealt with
distinct and separate offences pertaining to two different trade marks. The learned Magistrate was in error in
thinking that the case fell within the purview of sub-section (1) of Sec. 300 of
the Code.1
PENAL PROVISION.-The law in its wisdom seeks to punish the
guilty who commits the sin, and not the person who is innocent.2
1. Mangalprasad Jethalal Upadhyay v.
Thakkar Anaji Ranchhoddas, 1983 Cr.
L.J. 309 at pp. 312, 313: Sumeet Machines P. Ltd. v. Sumeet Research and
Holdings Ltd., 1993 L.W. (Cr.) 40 at p. 47 (Mad.).
2.
A.B Sulochana v. c. Dharmalingam,
A.I.R. 1987 S.C. 242 at p. 244.
79. PENALITY
FOR SELLING GOODS TO WIHCH A FALSE TRADEMARK OR FALSE TRADEDE DESCRIPTION IS APPLIED.-
Any
person who sells, or exposes for sale, or has in his possession for sale or for
any purpose of trade or manufacture, any goods or things to which any false
trade mark or false description is applied or which, being required under Sec.
1 17 to have applied to them an indication of the country or place in which
they were made or produced or the name and address of the manufacturer or the
person for whom the goods are manufactured, are without the indication so
required, shall, unless, lie proves,-
(a) That, having taken all reasonable precautions against committing an offence against this section, he had at the time of the committed of the alleged offence no reason to suspect the genuineness of the trade mark or trade description or that any offence had been committed in respect of the goods; and
(b) That, on demand by or on behalf of the prosecutor, he gave all the information in his power with respect to the person from whom he obtained such goods or things, or
(c) That otherwise he had acted innocently,
be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or
with fine, or with both:
Provided that when the
offence against this section is in relation to goods or any package containing
goods which are drugs as defined in Cl. (b) of Sec. 3 of the Drugs and
Cosmetics Act, 1940 (23 of 1940) or “food” as defined in Cl. (v) of Sec. 2 of
the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 (37 of 1954) the offender shall
be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or
with fine, or with both. by anyone outside the territory by post, as has been
done by the plaintiff, for the purpose of present proceedings, but that would
not be sufficient to give cause of action for the suit. Defendant had admittedly advertised his
product in a local Bikaner newspaper and no deliberate act of the defendant
could be said to be committed within this jurisdiction. If the newspaper had wider publication or
was freely sold in other jurisdictions or if the defendant had given the
insertion with the intention of a wider publicity, the position would have been
different. On the existing material,
prima facie, it would be doubtful if the Delhi High Court would have jurisdiction
to deal with this cause of action. 1
SUIT FOR INFRINGEMENT OF
TRADE MARK-INTERM INJUNCTION WHEN CANNOT BE GRANTED. -As for Harsha the
plaintiffs registration is of the year 1975 and the plaintiff was apparently
not using it in February, 1975 when the plaintiff served a notice on the
defendant because the wrongful use of the trade mark Harsha was not mentioned
in the notice. That apart, defendants
have placed on record not only the various newspapers in which they have been
extensively advertising the mark but also the bills for the period 1965 onwards
which would appear to show that the defendants had been either manufacturing,
marketing or dealing in sewing machines with this trade mark since 1965. It would, thus, appear that there would be very
little apprehension of any confusion in the course of trade of any attempt to
pass off the goods of the defendant as that of the plaintiff because, by and
large, the plaintiff does not deal with the proverbial “unwary customer”, who
is likely to be confused. Thus it is
clear a view that no restraint would be justified on the facts and
circumstances of this case. 2
1. Chandra Bhan Dembla Trading, Delhi v.
Bharat Sewing Machine Co., Bikaner, A.I.R. 1982 Delhi 230 at p. 231.
2. ibid. at pp. 232. 233: Power Control and
Appliances Co. v. Sumeet Machines Pvt.
Ltd.. A.I.R. 1993 Mad. 120 at p. 128, 129.
80. PENALTY FOR REMOVING PIECE GOODS, ETC.
CONTRARY TO SEC. 74. -If any person removes or
attempts to remove or causes or attempts to cause to be removed for sale from
any premises referred to in Sec. 74, or sells or exposes for sale or has in his
possession for sale or for any purpose of trade manufacture piece goods or
cotton yarn or cotton thread, which is not marked as required by that section
every such piece and every such bundle of yam and all such thread and
everything used for the packing thereof shall be forfeited to Government and
such persons shall be punishable with fine which may extend to one thousand
rupees.
81. PENALTY
FOR FALSELY REPRFSENTING A TRADE MARKS AS REGISTERED. -
(1) No person shall make any representation-
(a) With respect to a mark not being a
registered trade mark, to the effect that it is a registered trade mark; or
(b)
With
respect to a part of a registered trade mark not being a part separately registered as a trade mark, to the effect
that it is separately registered as a trade mark; or
(c) To the effect that a registered trade
mark is registered in respect of any goods in respect of which it is not in
fact registered; or
(d) To the effect that the registration of a trade mark gives an exclusive right to the use thereof in any circumstances in which, having regard to limitations entered on the register, the registration does not in fact give that right.
(2) If any person contravenes any of the
provisions of sub- section (1), he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a
term, which may extend to six months, or with fine, which may extend to five
hundred rupees, or with both.
(3) For the purposes of this section, the use
in India in relation to a trade mark of the word “registered” or of any other
expression whether expressly or implicitly to registration, shall be deemed to
import a reference to registration in the register, except-
(a) Where that word or other expression is
used in direct association with other words delineated in characters at least
as large as those in which that word or other expression is delineated and
indicating that the reference is to registration as a trade mark under the law
of- a Country outside India being a country under the law of which the
registration referred to is in fact in force; or
(b) Where that, other expression is of itself
such as to indicate that the reference is to such registration as is
mentioned in Cl. (a): or
(c) where that word is used in relation to a
mark registered as a trade mark under the law of a country outside India India
in relation soley to goods to be exported to that country.
82. PENALTY
FOR LMPROPERLY DESCRIBING A PLACE OF BUSLIVESS AS CON-NECTED WITH THE TRADE MARKS
OFFICE. -If any person uses on his
place of business, or on any document issued by him, or otherwise, words which
would reasonably lead to the belief that is place of business is or is
officially connected with, the Trade Marks Office, lie shall be pubnishable
with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or
with both.
83. PENALTY FOR FALSIFICATION OF ENTRIES IN THE REGISTER. -If any person makes, or causes to be made, a false entry in the
register, or a writing falsely purporting to be a copy of an entry in the
register, or produces or tenders, or causes to be produced or tendered, in
evidence any such writing knowing, the entry or writing to be false, he shall
be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or
with fine, or with both.
84. NO OFFENCE IN CERTAIN CASES. -The provisions of Sees. 77, 78 and 79 shall, in relation to registered
trade -nark or proprietor of such mark, be subject to the rights created or
recognised by this Act, and no act or omission shall be deemed to be an offence
under Sec. 77 or Sec. 78 or Sec. 79 if,-
(a) The alleged offence relates to a
registered trade mark and the act or omission is permitted under this Act; and
(b) The alleged offence relates to a registered
or an unregistered trade mark and the act or omission is permitted under any
other law for the time being in force.
(1) Where a person is convicted of an
offence under Sec. 78 or Sec. 79 or is acquitted of an offence under Sec. 78 on
proof that he acted without intent to defraud, or under Sec. 79 on proof of the
matters specified in Cls. (a), (b) and (c) of the section, the Court convicting
or acquitting him may direct the forfeiture to Government of all goods and things
by means of, or in relation to, which the offence has been committed, or but
for such proof as aforesaid would have been committed.
(2) When a forfeiture is directed on a
conviction and an appeal lies against the conviction, an appeal shall lie against
the forfeiture also.
(3) When Then a forfeiture is directed on an
acquittal and the goods or things to which the direction relates are of value
exceeding fifty rupees, an appeal against the forfeiture may be preferred,
within thirty days from the date of the direction, to the Court to which in
appealable cases appeals lie from sentences of the Court which directed the
forfeiture.
(4) When a forfeiture is directed on a
conviction the Court, before whom the person is convicted, may order any
forfeited articles to be destroyed or otherwise disposed of as the Court thinks
fit.
86. EXEMPION OF CERTAIN PERSONS EMPLOYED IN
ORDINARY COURSE OF BUSINESS. -Where a person accused of an
offence under Sec. 78 proves--
(a) That in the ordinary course of his
business he is employed oil behalf of other persons to apply trade marks or
trade description, or, as the case may be, to make dies, blocks, machines,
plates, or other instruments for making, or being used in making trade marks;
and (b) that in the case which is the subject of the charge he was so employed,
and was not interested in the goods or other things by way of profit or
commission dependent on the sale on such goods; and
(c) That, having taken all reasonable
precautions against committing the offence charged, he had, at the time of the
commissions of the alleged offence, no reason to suspect the genuineness of the
trade mark or trade description; and
(d) That, on demand made by or on behalf of
the prosecutor, he gave all the information in his power with respect to the
persons on whose behalf the trade mark or trade description was applied he
shall be acquitted.
87. PROCEDURE WHERE INVALIDITY OF REGISTRATION
IS PLEADED BY THE ACCUSED. –
(1) Where the offence charged under Sec. 78 or
Sec. 79 is in relation to a registered trade mark and the accused pleads that
the registration of the trade mark is invalid, the following procedure shall be
followed:
(a) If the Magistrate is satisfied that such
defence is prima facie tenable, he shall not proceed with the charge but shall
adjourn the proceeding for three months from the date on which the plea of the
accused is recorded to enable the accused to file an application before the
High Court under this Act, for the rectification of the register on the ground
that the registration is invalid:
(b) If the accused proves to the Magistrate that he has made such application within the time so limited or within such further time as the Magistrate may for sufficient cause allow, the further proceedings in the prosecution shall stand stayed till the disposal of such application for rectification and of the appeal, if any, therefrom:
(c) If within a period of three months or within such extended time as may be allowed by the Magistrate, the accused fails to apply to the High Court for rectification of the register, the Magistrate shall proceed with the case as if the registration were valid.
(2) Where before the institution of a
complaint of an offence referred to in sub-section (1), any application for the
rectification of the register concerning the trade mark in question on the
ground of invalidity of the registration thereof has already been properly made
to and is pending before the Tribunal, the Magistrate shall stay the further
proceedings in the prosecution pending the disposal of the application
aforesaid and shall determine the charge against the accused in conformity with
the result of the application for rectification in so far as the complainant
relies upon the registration of his mark.
(1) If the person committing an offence under
this Act is a company, the company as well as every person in charge of, and
responsible to, the company for the conduct of its business at the time of the
commission of the offence shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall
be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly:
Provided that nothing
contained in this sub-section shall render any such person liable to any
punishment if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or
that he exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in
sub-section (1), where an offence under this Act has been committed by a
company, and it is proved that the offence has been committed with the consent
or connivance of, or that the commission of the offence is attributable to any
neglect on the part of, any director, manager, secretary or other officer o@
the company such director, manager, secretary or other officer shall also be
deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against
and punished accordingly.
EXPLANATION. -For the purposes of this
section, -
(a) “Company” means any body corporate and includes a firm or other association of individuals, and
(b) “Director” in relation to a firm means a
partner in the firm.
89. COGNIZANCE OF CERTAIN OFFENCES.
–
(1) No Court shall take cognizance of an
offence under Sec. 8 1, Sec. 82 or Sec. 83 except on complaint in writing made
by the Registrar or any officer authorised by him in writing.
(2) No Court inferior to that of a Sessions
Judge, Presidency Magistrate or Magistrate of the first class shall try an
offence under this Act.
90. EVIDENCE OF ORIGIN OF GOODS IMPORTED BY SEA.-In the case of goods brought into India by sea, evidence of the port of
shipment shall, in a prosecution or an offence under this Act or under Cl. (d),
Cl. (dd), Cl. (e), Cl. (0, Cl. (h), Cl.(i) or Cl. 0) of Sec. 18 of the Sea
Customs Act, 1878 (8 of 1878), be prima facie evidence of the place or country
in which the goods were made or produced.
91. COSTS OF DEFENCE OR PROCESSION.-In any prosecution under this Act the Court may order such costs to be
paid by the accused to the complainant, or by the complainant to the accused,
as the Court deemed reasonable having regard to all the circumstances of the
case and the conduct of the parties.
Costs so awarded shall be recoverable as if they were a fine.
92. LIMITATION OF PROSECUTION. -No. Prosecution for an
Offence under this Act or under Cl. (d), Cl. (dd), Cl. (e), Cl. (f), Cl. (h),
Cl. (i) or Cl. (j) of Sec. 18 of the Sea Customs Act, 1878 (8 of 1878), shall
be Commenced after the expiration of three years next after the commission of
the offence charged, or two years after the discovery thereof by the
prosecutor, whichever expriration first happens.
93. INFORMATION AS TO COMMISSION OF OFFENCE.
-An
officer of the Government whose duty it is to take part in the enforcement of
the provisions of this Chapter, shall not be compelled in any Court to say
whence he got any information as to the commission of any offence against this
Act.
94.
PUNISHMENT
OF ABETMENT IN INDIA OF ACTS DONE OUT OF INDIA. -If any person, being within
India, abets the commission, without India, of any act which, if committed in
India, would, under this Act, be an offence, he may be tried for such abetment
in any place in India in which he may be found, and be punished therefor with
the punishment which he would be liable if he had himself committed in that
place the act which he abetted.
95. INSTRUCTION BY CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AS TO
PERMISSIBLE VARIATIONS TO BE OBSERVED BY CRIMINAL COURTS.-The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette,
issue instructions for the limits of variation, as regards number, quantity ,
measure, gauge or weight, which are to be recognised by Criminal Courts as
permissble in the case of any goods.
CHAPTER XI
MISCELLANEOUS
96. IMPLIED WARRANTY ON SALE OF MARKED GOODS.-On the sale or in the contract for the sale of any goods to which a
trade mark or mark or trade description has been applied, the seller shall be
deemed to warrant that the mark is a genuine mark and not falsely applied, or
that the trade description is not a false trade description .within the meaning
of this Act, unless the contrary is expressed in some writing signed by or on
behalf of the seller and delivered at the time of the sale or contract to and
accepted by the buyer.
97. POWER OF REGISTRAR.-In all proceedings under
this act before the Registrar-
(a) The Registrar shall have all the powers
of a Civil Court for the purposes of receiving evidence, administering oaths,
enforcing the attendance of witnesses, compelling the discovery and production
of documents and issuing commission for the examination of witnesses;
(b) The Registrar may, subject to any rules
made in this behalf under Sec. 133, make such orders as to costs as he
considers reasonable, and any such order shall be executable as a decree of a
Civil Court:
Provided that the Registrar
shall have no power to award costs to or against any party on an appeal to him
against a refusal of the proprietor of a certification trade mark to certify
goods or to authorise the use of the mark:
(c) The Registrar may, on an application made
in the, prescribed manner, review his own decision.
98. EXERCISE OF DISCRETIONARY POWER BY
REGISTRAR.-Subject to the provisions of Sec. 101, the Registrar
shall not exercise any discretionary or other power vested in him by this Act
or the rules made thereunder adversely to a person applying for the exercise of
that power without (if so required by that person within the presibed time)
giving to that person an opportunity of being heard.
99. EVIDENCE BEFORE TBE REGISTRAR.-In any proceeding under this
Act
before the
Registrar evidence shall be given by affidavit:
Provided that the Registrar
may, if he thinks fit, take oral evidence in lieu of, or in addition to, such
evidence by affidavit.
100. DEATH OF PARTY TO A PROCEEDING.-If
a person who is a party to a proceeding under this Act (not being a proceeding
in a Court) dies pending the proceeding, the Registrar may, on request, and on proof
to his satisfaction of the transmission of the interest of the deceased person,
substitute in the proceeding his successor-iii-interest in his place, or, if
the Registrar is of opinion that the interest of the deceased person is
sufficiently represented by the surviving parties permit the proceeding to
continue without the substitution of his successor-in-interest.
(1) If the Registrar is satisfied, on
application made to him in the prescribed manner and accompanied by the prescribed
fee, that there is sufficient cause for extending the time for doing any act
(not being a time expressly provided in the Act), whether the time so specified has expired or not, he may subject
to such conditions as he may think fit to impose, extend the time and notify
the parties accordingly.
(2) Nothing in sub-section (1) shall be
deemed to require the Registrar to hear the parties before disposing of an
application for extension of time, and no appeal shall lie from any order of
the Registrar under this section.
102. ABANDONMENT. - Where in the opinion of the Registrar an applicant is in default in the
prosecution of an application filed under this Act, or any act the Registrar
may by notice require the applicant to remedy the default within a time
specified and after giving him if so
desired an opportunity of being heard, treat the application as abandoned,
unless the default is remedied within the time specified in the notice.
103. PRELIMNARY ADVICE BY THE REGISTRAR AS TO
DISTINCTIVENESS. -
(1) The Registrar may, on application made to
him in the prescribed manner by any person who proposes to apply for the
registration of a trade mark in Part A or Part B of the register, give advice
as to whether the trade mark appears to him prima facie to be inherently
adapted to distinguish, or capably of distinguishing as the case may be.
(2) If, on an application for the
registration of a trade mark as to which the Registrar has given advice as
aforesaid in the affirmative made .within three months after the advice was
given, the Registrar, after further investigation or consideration, gives
notice, to the applicant of objection on the ground that the trade mark is not
adapted to distinguish, or is not capable of distinguishing, as the case may be,
entitled, on giving notice of
withdrawal Of the application within the prescribed period, to have repaid to him, any fee paid on the filing of the
application.
104. PROCEDURE BEFORE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT. –In all proceedings under this Act before the Central Government,
evidence shall given by the affidavit:
Provided that the Central
Government May, if it thinks fit, take oral evidence in lieu of, or in addition
to, such evidence by affidavit, and shall for that purpose have all the powers
of a Civil Court referred to in Cl. (a) of Sec. 97.
105. SUIT
FOR INFRINGEMENT, ETC. TO BE INSTITUTED BEFORE DISTRICT COURT. -No suit-
(a) For the infringement of a registered
trade mark: or
(b) Relating to any right in a registered
trade mark; or
(c) For passing off arising out Of the Use by
the defendant of any trade mark which is identical with or deceptively similar
to the plaintiff's trade mark whether registered or unregistered,
Shall be instituted in any
Court inferior to a District Court having jurisdiction to try the suit.
106. RELIEFS IN SUITS FOR INFRINGEMENT OR FOR
PASSING OFF. -
(1) The relief which a court may grant in any
suit for infringement or for passing off referred to in Sec. 105, includes an
injunction (subject to such terms, if any, as the Court thinks fit) and the
option of the plaintiff, either damages or an account of profits, together with
or without any order for the delivery-up of the infringing labels and marks for
destruction or erasure.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in
sub-section (1), the Court shall not grant relief by way of damages (other than
nominal damages) or an account of Profits in any case-
(a) Where in a suit for infringement of a
trade mark, the infringement complained of is in relation to a certification
trade mark; or
(b) Where in a suit for infringement the
defendant satisfies the Court-
(i) That at the time he commenced to uses the
trade mark complained of in the suit he was unaware and had no reasonable
ground for believing that the trade mark of the plaintiff was on the register
or that the plaintiff was registered user using by way of permitted use; and
(ii) That when he became aware of the existence and nature of the plaintiffs right in the trade mark, he forthwith ceased to use the trade mark in relation to goods in respect of which it was registered; or
(c) Where in a suit for passing off the
defendant satisfies the Court-
(i) That at the time he commenced to use the trade mark complained of in the suit he was unaware and had no reasonable ground for believing that the trade mark of the plaintiff was in use; and
(ii) That when he became aware of the
existence and nature of the plaintiffs trade mark, he forthwith ceased to use
the trade mark complained of.
107. APPLICATION FOR RECTIFICATION OP REGISTER TO
BE MADE TO HIGH COURT IN CERTAIN CASES. –
(1) Where in a suit for infringement of a
registered trade mark the validity of the registration of the plaintiff s trade
mark is questioned by the defendant or where in any such suit the defendant
raises a defence under Cl. (d) of sub-section (1) of Sec. 30 and the plaintiff
questions the validity of the registration of the defendant's trade mark, the
issue as to the validity of the registration of the trade mark concerned shall
be determined only on an application for the rectification of the register, and
not-withstanding anything contain in Sec. 46, sub-section (4) of Sec. 47 or
Sec. 56, such application shall be made to the High Court and not to the
Registrar.
(2) Subject to the provisions of subsection
(1) where an application for rectification of the register made to the
Registrar under Sec. 46 or sub-section (4) of Sec. 47 or Sec. 56, the Registrar
may, if he thinks fit, refer the application at any stage of the proceeding to
the High Court.
108. PROCEDURE FOR APPLICATION FOR RECTIFICATION
BEFORE A HIGH COURT. -
(1) An application for rectification of the
register made to a High Court under Sec. 46, sub-section (4) of Sec. 47 or Sec.
56 shall be in such from and shall contain such particulars as may be
prescribed.
(2) Every such application shall be heard by a
single Judge of the High Court:
Provided that any such Judge
may, if he thinks fit, refer the application at any stage of the proceedings
for decision to a Bench of that High Court.
(3) Where any such application is heard by a
single Judge of the High Court, an appeal shall lie from the order made by him
on application to a Bench of the High Court.
(4) Subject to the provision of this Act and
the rules made thereunder, the provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908
(5 of 1908), shall apply to applications to a High Court under this section.
(5) A certified copy of every order or
judgment of the High Court or of the Supreme Court, as the case may be,
relating to a registered trade mark under this section shall be communicated to
the Registrar by that Court and the Registrar shall give effect to the order of
the Court and shall, when so directed, amend the entries in, or rectify, the
register in accordance with such order.
(1) No appeal shall lie from any decision,
order or direction made or issued under this Act by the Central Government or
from any act or order of the Registrar for purpose of giving effect to any such
decision, order or direction.
(2) Save as otherwise expressly provided in
sub-section (1) or in any other provision of this Act, an appeal shall lie to
the High Court within the prescribed period from any order or decision of the
Registrar under this Act or the rules made thereunder.
(3) Every such appeal shall be preferred by
petition in writing and shall be in such form and shall contain such
particulars as may be prescribed.
(4) Every such appeal shall be heard by a
single Judge of the High Court:
Provided that any such Judge
may, if lie so thinks fit, refer the appeal at any stage of the proceeding to a
Bench of the High Court.
(5) Where an appeal is heard by a single
Judge, a further appeal shall lie to a Bench of the High Court.
(6) The High Court in disposing of an appeal
under this section shall have the power to make any order which the Registrar
could make under this Act.
(7) In an appeal by an applicant for
registration against a decision of the Registrar under Sec. 17 or Sec. 18 or
Sec. 2 1, it shall not be open, save with the express permission of the Court,
to the Registrar or any party opposing the appeal to advance grounds other than
those recorded in the said decision or advanced by the party in the proceeding
before the Registrar, as the case may be, and where any such additional grounds
are advanced, the applicant for registration may, on giving notice in the
prescribed manner, withdraw his application without being liable to pay the
costs of the Registrar or the parties opposing his application.
(8) Subject to the provisions of this Act and
of the rules made thereunder, the provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure,
1908 (5 of 1908), shall apply to appeals before a High Court under this Act.
110. POWER OF HIGH COURTS TO MAKE RULES. -The High Court may make rules consistent with this Act as to the
conduct and procedure of all proceedings under this Act before it.
111. STAY OF PROCEEDINGS WHERE THE VALIDITY OF
REGISTRATION OF THE TRADE MARK IS QUESTIONED ETC. –
(1) An application for rectification of the
register made to a High Court under section 46, sub section (4) of sec. 47 or
Sec. 56 shall be such from and shall contain such particulars as may be
prescribed.
(2) Every such application shall be heard by a
single Judge of the High Court:
Provided that any such Judge may, if he thinks fit, refer the
application at any stage of the proceedings for decision to a Bench of that
High Court:
(a) The defendant pleads's the registration of
the plaintiff's trade mark is invalid; or
(b) The defendant raises a defence under Cl.
(d) of sub-section (1) of Sec. 30 and the plaintiff pleads the invalidity of
the registration of the defendant's trade mark,
The Court trying the suit
(hereinafter referred to as the Court), shall, -
(i) If any proceedings for rectification of the register in relation to the plaintiffs or defendant's trade mark are pending before the Registrar or the High Court, stay the suit pending the final disposal of such proceedings;
(ii) If no such proceedings are pending and the Court is satisfied that the plea regarding the invalidity of the registration of the plaintiff s or defendant's trade mark is prima facie tenable, raise an issue regarding the same and adjourn the case for a period of three months from the date of the framing of the issue in order to enable the party concerned to apply to the High Court for rectification of the register.
(2) If the party concerned proves to the
Court that he has made any such application as is referred to in Cl. (b) (ii)
of sub-section (1) within the time specified therein or within such extended
time as the Court may for sufficient cause allow, the trial of the suit shall
stand stayed until the final disposal of the rectification proceedings.
(3) If no such application as aforesaid has
been made within the time so specified or within such extended time as the
Court may allow, the issue as to the validity of the registration of the trade
mark concerned shall be deemed to have been abandoned and the Court shall
proceed with the suit in regard to the other issues in the case.
(4) The final order made in any rectification
proceedings referred to in sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) shall be binding
upon the parties and the Court shall dispose of the suit conformably to such
order in so far as it relates to the issue as to validity of the registration
of the trade mark.
(5) The stay of a suit for the infringement
of a trade mark under this section shall not preclude the Court making any
interlocutory order (including any order granting an injunction, directing
accounts to be kept, appointing a Receiver or attaching any property), during
the period of the stay of the suit.
112. APPEARANCE OF REGISTER IN LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
-
(l) The Registrar shall have the right to
appear and be heard-
(a) In any legal proceeding before a High Court in which the relief sought includes alteration or rectification of the register or in which any question relating to the practice of the Trade Marks Registry is raised;
(b) In any appeal to the High Court from an
order of the Registrar on an application for registration of a trade mark-
(i) Which is not opposed, and the application is either refused by the Registrar or is accepted by him subjected to any amendments, modifications, conditions, or limitations or
(ii) Which has been opposed and the Registrar
considers that his appearance is necessary in the public interest,
In addition, the Registrar
shall appear in any case if so directed by the Court.
(2) Unless the High Court otherwise directs,
the Registrar may, in lieu of appearing, submit a statement in writing, signed
by him, giving such particulars as he thinks proper of the proceedings before
him relating to the matter in issue, or of the grounds of any decision given by
him affecting it, or of the practice of the Trade Marks Registry in like cases,
or of other matters relevant to the issues and within his knowledge as
Registrar, and such statement shall be evidence in the proceeding.
113. COSTS OF REGISTRAR IN PROCEEDINGS BEFORE
HIGH COURT. -In all proceedings under this
Act before a High Court the costs of the Registrar shall be in the discretion
of the High Court, but the Registrar shall not be ordered to pay the costs of
any of the parties.
114. REGISTERED USER TO BE IMPLEADED IN CERTAIN
PROCEEDINGS. -
(1) In every proceeding under Chapter VII or
under Sec. 109, every registered user of a trade mark using by way of permitted
use, who is not himself an applicant in respect of any proceeding under that
Chapter or section, shall be
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in any
other law, a registered user so made a party to the proceeding shall not be
liable for any costs unless he enters an appearance and takes part in the
proceeding.
115. EVIDENCE
OF ENTRIES IN REGISTER, ETC., AND THINGS DONE BY THE REGISTRAR. -
(1) A copy of any entry in the register or of
any document referred to in sub-section (1) of Sec. 125, purporting to be
certified by the Registrar and scaled with the seal of the Trade Marks
Registry, shall be admitted in evidence in all Courts and in all proceedings
without further proof or production of the original.
(2) A certificate purporting to be under the
hand of the Registrar as to any entry, matter or thing that he is authorised by
this Act or the rules to make or do shall be prima facie evidence of the entry
having been made, and of the contents thereof, or of the matter or thing having
been done or not done.
116. REGISTRAR
AND OTHER OFFICER NOT COMPELLABLE TO PRODUCE REGISTER, ETC. -The
Registrar or any other officer of the Trade Marks Registry shall not, in any
legal proceedings to which he is not a party, be compellable to produce the
register or any other document in his custody, the contents of which can be
proved by the production of a certified copy issued under this Act or to appear
as a witness to prove the matters therein recorded unless by order of the Court
made of special cause.
117. POWER TO REQUIRE GOODS TO SHOW INDICATION
OF ORIGIN. –
(1) The Central Government may, by
notification in the Official Gazette, require that goods of any class specified
in the notification which are made or produced beyond the limits of India, and
imported into India, or which are made or produced within the limits of India,
shall from such date as may be appointed by the notification not being less
than three months from its issue, have applied to them an indication of the
country or place in which they were made or produced, or of the name and
address of the Manufacturer or the person for whom the goods were manufactured.
(2) The notification may specify the manner
in which such indication shall be applied, that is to say, whether to the goods
themselves or in any other manner, and the times or occasions on which the
presence of the indication shall be necessary, that is to say, whether on
importation only or also at the time of sale, whether by wholesale or retail or
both.
(3) No notification under this section shall
be issued, unless application is made for its issue by persons or associations
substantially representing the interest of dealers in, or manufacturers,
producers, or users of, the goods concerned, or unless the Central Government
is otherwise convinced that it is necessary in the public interest to issue the
notification, with or without such inquiry as the Central Government may
consider necessary.
(4) The provisions of Sec. 23 of the General
Clauses Act, 1897 (10 of 1897), shall apply to the issue of a notification
under this section as they apply to the making of a rule or bye- law the making
of which is subject to the condition of previous publication.
(5) A notification under this section shall
not apply to goods made or produced beyond the limits of India and imported
into India, if in respect of those goods, the 1[Commissioner of
Customs] is satisfied at the time of importation that they are intended for
exportation whether after transshipment in or transit through India or
other-wise.
1. Subs. by the Finance Act, 1995 (22 of
1995), Sec. 88, for the words “Chief Customs Officers”.
118. POWER TO REQUIRE INFORMATION IN RESPECT OF
IMPORTED GOODS BEARING FALSE TRADE MARKS. -
(1) Where goods, which are prohibited to be
imported into India Under Cl. d), Cl. (dd), Cl. (e), Cl.(f), Cl. (h), Cl. (i)
Cl. (j) of Sec. 18 of the Sea Customs Act, 1878 (8 of 1878), and are liable to
detention and confiscation on importation under that Act, are imported into
India, the 1[Commissioner
of Customs] if, upon representation made to him, he has reason to believe that
the trade mark complained of is used as a false trade mark, may require the
importer of the goods, or his agent, to produce any documents in his possession
relating to the goods and to furnish information as to the name at-id address
of the person by whom the goods were consigned to India and the name and
address of the person to whom the goods were sent in India.
(2) The importer or his agent shall, within
fourteen days, comply with requirement as aforesaid, and if he fails to do so he
shall be punishable with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees.
(3) Any information obtained from the
importer of the -foods or, its agent under this section may be communicated by
the 1[Commissioner
of Customs] to the registered proprietor or registered user of the trade mark
which is alleged to have been used as a false trade mark.
1. Subs. by the Finance Act, 1995 (22 of
1995), Sec. 55, for the words “Chief Customs Officers”.
119. CERTIFICATE
OF VALIDITY. –If in any legal proceeding
for rectification of the register before a High Court a decision is on contest
given in favour of the registered proprietor of the trade mark on the issue as
to the, validity of the registration of the trade mark, the High Court may
grant a certificate to that effect, and if such a certificate is granted, then
in any subsequent legal proceeding in which the said validity comes into
question the said proprietor on obtaining a final order or judgment in his
favour affirming the validity of the registration of the trade mark shall,
unless the said final order or judgment for sufficient reason directs
otherwise, be entitled to his full costs, charges and expenses as between legal
practitioner and client.
120. GROUNDLESS THREATS OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS. -
(1) Where a person, by means of circulars,
advertisements or otherwise, threatens a person with an action or proceedings
for infringement of a trade mark which is registered, or alleged by the
first-mentioned person to be registered, or with some other like proceeding, a
person aggrieved may, whether the person making the threats is or is not
registered proprietor or the registered user of- the trade mark, bring a suit
against the first-mentioned person and may obtain a declaration to the effect
that threats are unjustifiable, and an injunction against, the continuance of
the threats, and may recover such damages (if any) as he has sustained, unless
the first-mentioned person satisfies the Court that the trade mark is
registered and that the acts in respect of which the proceedings were
threatened constitute, or if done, would constitute, an infringement of the
trade mark.
(2) The last preceding sub-section does not
apply if the registered proprietor of the trade mark, or a registered user
acting in pursuance of subsection (1) of Sec. 51, with due diligence commences
and prosecutes an action against the person threatened for infringement of the
trade mark.
(3) Nothing in this section shall render a
legal practitioner or a registered trade mark's agent liable to an action under
this section in respect of an act done by him in his professional capacity on
behalf of a Client.
(4) A suit under sub-section (1) shall not be
instituted in any Court interior to a District Court.
121. ADDRESS FOR SERVICE. -An
address for service stated in an application or notice of opposition shall for
the purpose of the application or notice of opposition, be deemed to be the
address of the Applicant, or opponent as the case may be, and all documents in
relation to the application or notice of opposition may be served by leaving
them at or sending them by post to the address for service of the applicant or
opponent, as the case may be.
122. TRADE USAGE, ETC. TO BE
TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION. -In any suit or other
proceeding relating to a trade mark, the Tribunal shall admit evidence of the
usage of the trade concerned and of an relevant trade mark or trade name or get
up legitimately used by other person. -
123. AGENTS. -Where,
by or under this Act, any act, other than the making of an affidavit, is
required to be done before the Registrar by any person, the act may subject to
the rules made in this behalf, be done, instead of by that person himself, by a
person duly authorised in the prescribed manner, who is-
(a) A legal practitioner, or
(b) A person registered in the prescribed
manner as a trade marks agent, or
(c) A person in the sole and regular
employment of the principal.
124. INDEXES. -There
shall be kept under the direction and supervision of the Registrar, -
(a) An index of registered trade marks,
(b) An index of trade marks in respect of
which applications, for registrations are pending,
(c) An index of the names of the proprietors
of registered trade marks, and
(d) An index of the names of registered
users.
125. DOCMENTS OPEN TO PUBLIC INSPECTION. –
(1) Save as otherwise provided in sub-section
(5) of Sec. 49, -
(a) The register, and any document upon which any entry in the register is based;
(b) Every notice of opposition to the
registration of a trade mark, application for rectification before the
Registrar, counter-statement thereto, and any affidavit or document filed by
the parties in any proceedings before the Registrar;
(c) All regulations deposited under Sec. 65, and all applications under Sec. 66 for varying such regulations;
(d) The index mentioned in Sec. 124: and
(e) Such other documents as the Central Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, specify,
Shall subject to, such
conditions as may be prescribed, be open to public inspection as the Trade
Marks Registry.
(2) Any person may, on application to the
Registrar and on payment of such fees as may be prescribed, obtain a certified
copy of any entry in the register or any document referred to in sub-section
(1).
126. REPORTS OF REGISTRAR TO BE PLACED BEFORE
PARLIAMENT. -The Central Government
shall cause to be placed before both Houses of Parliament once a year a report
respecting the execution by or under the Registrar of this Act.
(1) There shall be paid in respect of
applications and registration and other matters under this Act such fees as may
be prescribed by the Central Government.
(2) Where a fee is payable in respect of the
doing of an act by the Registrar, the Registrar shall not do that act until the
fee has been paid.
(3) Where a fee is payable in respect of the
filing of a document at the Trade Marks Registry, the document shall he deemed
not to have been filed at the Registry until the fee has been paid.
128. SAVINGS
IN RESPECT OF CERTAIN MATTERS IN CHAPTER X. –Nothing in Chapter X shall-
(a) Exempt any person from any suit or other
proceeding which might, but for anything in that Chapter, be brought against
him,
(b) Entitle any person to refuse to make a
complete discovery, or to answer any question or interrogatory in any suit or
other proceeding, but such discovery or answer shall not be admissible in
evidence against such person in any such prosecution for an offence under
Chapter X or against Cl. (d), Cl. (dd), Cl. (e), Cl. (f), Cl. (h), Cl. (i), or
Cl. (j) of Sec. 18 of the Sea Customs Act, 1878 (8 of 1878) or,
(c) Be construed so as to render liable to
any prosecution or punishment any servant of a master resident in India who in
good faith acts in obedience to the instructions of such master, and, on demand
made by or on behalf of the prosecutor, has given full information as to his
master and as to the instructions which he has received from his master.
129. DECLARATION
AS TO OWNERSHIP OF TRADE NOT REGISTRABLE UNDER THE INDIAN REGISTRATION ACT,
1908. -Notwithstanding anything
contained in the Indian Registration Act, 1908 (16 of 1908), no document
declaring or purporting to declare the ownership or title of a person to a
trade mark other than a registered trade mark shall be registered under that
Act.
130. GOVERNMENT
TO BE BOUND. -The provisions of this Act
shall be binding on the Government.
(l) With a view to the fulfilment of a
treaty, convention or arrangement, with any country outside India which affords
to citizens of India similar privileges as granted to its own citizens, the
Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare such
country to be a convention country for the purpose of this Act.
(2) Where a person has made an application
for the registration of a trade mark in a convention country and that person,
or his legal representative or assignee, makes an application for the
registration of the trade mark in India within six months after the date on
which the application was made in the convention country, the trade mark shall,
if registered under this Act, be registered as of the date on which the
application was made in the convention country and that date shall be deemed
for the purpose of this Act to be the date of registration.
(3) Where applications have been made for the
registration of trade mark in two or more convention countries, the period of
six months referred to in the last preceding sub-section shall be reckoned from
the date on which the earlier or earliest of those applications was made.
132. PROVISIONS AS TO RECIPROCITY. -Where
any country specified by the Central Government in this behalf by notification
in the Official Gazette does not accord to citizens of' India the same rights
in respect of the registration and protection of trade marks as it accords to
its own nationals, no national of such country shall be entitled, either solely
or jointly with any other person--
(a) To apply for the registration of, or be
registered as the proprietor of, a trade mark in Part A or Part B of the
register,
(b) To be registered as the assignee of the
proprietor of a registered trade mark, or
(c) To apply for registration or be
registered] as a registered user of a trade i-nark under Sec. 49.
133. POWER
OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TO A RULES. -
(1) The Central Government may, by notification
in the Official Gazette and subject to tile conditions of previous publication,
make rules to carry out the purposes of' this Act.
(2) In particular, and without prejudice to
the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for all or any of
the following matters, namely:
(a) The classification of goods for the
purpose of the registration of trade marks, and the empowering of the Registrar
to amend the register so far as may be necessary for the purpose of adapting
the entries therein to any amended or substituted classification;
(b) The making of duplicates of trade marks and other documents connected therewith
(c) The securing and regulating the publication, sale or distribution of copies of trade marks and other documents connected therewith;
(d) The additional matters to be entered in
the register;
(e) The conditions and restrictions subject
to which the register, the Refused Textile Marks List and other document its
may be inspected,
(f) The form of certificates or registration;
(g) The further documents, information or
evidence, which should accompany an application under sub-section (1) of Sec.
49;
(h) The prescribing of classes of goods as
textile goods for the purposes of Sec. 71:
(i) The awarding of cost by the registrar
under Sec. 97;
(j) The conditions subject to which a
person, may be registered as a trade rnark's
agent, and the conditions subject to which an agent referred to in Sec. 123 may
act;
(k) The fees to be paid under this Act;
(l) The establishment Of Offices of the Trade
Marks Registry for facilitating the working of this Act, the territorial
jurisdiction of each office of the Trade Marks Registry and preparation of the
copies of the register to be kept at such offices;
(m) The transfer of applications and
proceedings pending at the commencement of this Act is any office of the
Registry to the appropriate office of the Registry:
(n) The manner in which in proceedings under
this Act before the Central Government or the Registrar, applications shall be
made, notices given and i-natters advertised;
(o) The times or periods required by this Act
to be prescribed,
(p) The regulation generally of the business
of the Trade Marks Registry and of the offices established under Cl. (l) and
the regulation of all things by this Act placed under the direction or control
of the Central Government or the Registrar:
(q) The number of samples to be selected and
tested and for the selection of the samples for the purpose of Sec. 75;
(r) The manner in which cotton yarn and
cotton thread shall be marked with the particulars required by Sec. 74, and the
exemption of certain premises from the provisions of that section;
(s) The classes of goods included in the expression
“piece goods” such as are ordinarily sold by length or by the piece” for the
purposes of Sec. 74, and Cl. (f) of Sec. 18 of the Sea Customs Act, 1878;
(t) Any other matter which is required to be
or may be prescribed.
1[134. LAYING OF RULES BEFORE;
PARLIAMENT. -Every rule made under this
Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House of
Parliament, while it is in session, for a total period of thirty days which may
be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if,
before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the
successive session aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in
the rule or both souses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter
have effect only in such modified form or be of no annulment shall be without
prejudice to the validity of anything
of no effect, as the case may be, so, however that any such modification
or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously
done under that rule.]
1. Subs by Act 4 of 1986, Sec. 2 and Sch.
(w.e.f. 15th May, 1986).
135. AMENDMENTS. -The enactments Specified in the Schedule shall be amended in the Manner
Specified therein.
(1) The Indian Marchandise Marks Act, 1889 (4
of 1889), and the Trade Marks Act, 1940 (5 of 1940), are hereby repealed.
(2) Without prejudice to the provisions
contained in the General Clauses Act, 1897 (10 of 1897), with respect to
repeals, any notification, rule, order, requirement, registration, certificate,
notice, decision, determination, direction, approval, authorization, consent,
application, request, or thing made, issued, given or done under the India
Merchandise Marks.
Act, 1889 (4 of 1889), or]
the Trade Marks Act, 1940 (5 of 1940), shall, if in force at the commencement
of this Act, continue in force, and have effect as if made, issued, given or
done under the corresponding provisions of this Act.
(3) The provisions of this Act shall apply to
any application for registration of a trade mark pending at the commencement of
this Act and to any proceedings consequent thereon and to any registration
granted in pursuance thereof.
(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in this
Act, any legal proceeding pending in any Court at the commencement of this Act
may be continued in that Court as if this
Act had not been passed.
AMENDMENTS
(See Sec. 135)
|
Year |
No |
Short
title |
Amendment |
|
1860 |
45 |
The
Indian Panel Code. |
(i) In the
heading to Chapter XVIII, the words “TRADE OR” shall be omitted. (ii) In
the heading above Sec. 478, the word “trade” shall be omitted; (iii)
Sees. 478 and 480 shall be omitted: (iv) In
Sec. 482, the words “any false trade mark or” shall be omitted; (v) In
Sec. 483, the words “trade mark or” shall be omitted; (vi) For
Sec. 465, the following section shall be substituted, namely- |
|
485. Making or possession of any instrument for
counterfeiting a property mark. -Whoever makes or has in his possession any die,
plate or other instrument for the purpose of counterfeiting a property mark,
or has in his possession a property mark for the purpose of denoting that any
goods belong to a person to whom they do not belong, shall be punished with imprisonment
of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with
fine, or with both,” |
|||
|
1871 |
1 |
The
specific relief Act, 1877. |
(vii) In
Sec. 486, for the words “whoever sells, or exposes, or has in possession for
sale or any purpose of trade or manufacture, any goods or things with a
counterfeit trade mark or property mark”, the words “Whoever sells, or
exposes. or has in possession for sale, any goods or things with a
counterfeit property mark” shall substituted. |
|
1871 |
1 |
The
Specific Relief Act, 1877 |
In Sec. 54, the
explanation and illustration (w) shall be omitted. |
|
1878 |
8 |
The
Sea Customs Act, 1878. |
In Sec. 18, - (i) For Cl. (d), the following clause shall be
substituted, namely: (d) Goods having
applied thereto a false trade mark within the meaning of Sec. 77 of the Trade
and Merchandise Marks Act, 1958; (dd) Goods
having applied thereto a false trade description within the meaning of Cl. (p
of sub-section (1) of Sec. 2. of the Trade and Merchandise Marks Act, 1958,
otherwise than in relation to any of the matters specified in subclauses (ii)
and (iii) of Cl. (u) of that sub-section.”; (ii) In Cl.
(D, in sub-clause (ii), for the words “standard yards”, the words “standard
yards or in standard metres” shall be substituted; (iii) For
Cl. (h), the following clause shall be substituted, namely: (h)Goods,
which are required by a notification under Sec. I 1 7 of the Trade and
Merchandise Marks Act, 1958, to have applied to them an indication of the
country or place in which they were made or produced or the name and address
of the manufacturer or the person for whom the goods were manufactured unless
such goods show such indication applied in the manner specified in the
notification,” (iv) In Cl.
(i), in sub-clause (ii) For the words and figures “under Sec. 20 of the
Indian Merchandise Marks Act 1989 (4 of 1889), the words and figures “under
Sec. 75 of the Trade and Merchandise Marks Act, 1958” shall be substituted; (v) In Cl.
(fl, in sub-clause (ii), for the words and figures “under Sec. 20 of the
Indian Merchandise Marks Act, 1889 (4 of 1889)”, the words and figures “under
Sec. 75 of the Trade and Merchandise Marks Act, 1958” shall be
substituted. |
|
1898 |
5 |
The
Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898. |
In
Sch. II, - (i)
In the heading to Chapter
XVIII, the words “Trade OR” shall be omitted; (ii) In the heading above Sec.
482 the words “trade and” shall be omitted: (iii) In the second columns of
the entry relating to Sec. 482, the words “trade or” shall be omitted; (iv) In the second column of
the entry relating to Sec. 483, the words “trade or” shall be omitted; (v)
In the second column of the entry relating to Sec. 485, the words “or
trade” shall be omitted; (vi) In the second column of
the entry relating to Sec. 486, the words “or trade” shall be omitted. |