{"id":2234,"date":"2020-02-20T11:17:12","date_gmt":"2020-02-20T05:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/?p=2234"},"modified":"2020-06-03T12:50:00","modified_gmt":"2020-06-03T07:20:00","slug":"apply-for-a-trademark-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/apply-for-a-trademark-in-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Guide to Apply for a Trademark in India"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A trademark is a brand logo that represents your business. It is a visual symbol like a word signature, name, label, numbers or a combination of a few of these elements. It helps a particular article or a work of commerce to distinguish itself from others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When exploring a range of brands over the internet or in a physical manner, have you ever wondered what are these special characters and numbers the brand uses? Well, they are called trademarks. We have compiled everything you need to know about a trademark in this article. Read on to know more.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69d9018dd1fdf\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69d9018dd1fdf\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/apply-for-a-trademark-in-india\/#What-is-a-trademark\" >What is a trademark<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/apply-for-a-trademark-in-india\/#Who-can-avail-this-in-India\" >Who can avail this in India<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/apply-for-a-trademark-in-india\/#How-to-apply-for-a-trademark-in-India\" >How to apply for a trademark in India<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/apply-for-a-trademark-in-india\/#Step-01-Trademark-search\" >Step 01 Trademark search<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/apply-for-a-trademark-in-india\/#Step-02-Creating-an-application\" >Step 02 Creating an application<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/apply-for-a-trademark-in-india\/#Step-03-Registering-a-trademark\" >Step 03: Registering a trademark<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/apply-for-a-trademark-in-india\/#Benefits-of-getting-a-trademark-for-your-business\" >Benefits of getting a trademark for your business<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What-is-a-trademark\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is a trademark<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Very simply put, a trademark is a brand logo that represents your business. It is a visual symbol like a word signature, name, label, numbers or a combination of a few of these elements. It helps a particular article or a work of commerce to distinguish itself from others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Usually, this is used by manufacturers or service providers to identify their own products or services from those of their competitors.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In India, trademarks are registered by the Controller General of Patents Designs and Trademarks, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. Trademarks are registered under the Trademark Act, 1999. They provide the owner with the right to sue for damages when infringements of a trademark take place.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who-can-avail-this-in-India\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who can avail this in India<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Any individual or a company, proprietorship or an LLP, who claims to be an owner of the said organisations can apply for a trademark. The application for a trademark can be filed within a few days and you can start using the \u2018TM\u2018 symbol. Usually, it takes about 18 months to 24 months to get a trademark but in the interim, you can use the Registered symbol for yourself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Please note: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once a trademark is registered, it is valid for 10 years from the date of filing, which further can be renewed from time to time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>[Recommended Read <a href=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/apply-for-patent-in-india\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Patent In India: Everything You Need To Know<\/a>]<\/em><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How-to-apply-for-a-trademark-in-India\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to apply for a trademark in India<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is recommended to take an expert\u2019s help while getting a trademark registered for yourself. Here\u2019s how you can apply for this in three simple steps:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step-01-Trademark-search\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 01 Trademark search<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first step to getting started with the process of a trademark application is to check whether your business name or logo is available or there <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">exists <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">something similar.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Usually, the agent conducts this search with the Trademark Office.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are two kinds of searches: online and offline. It is always recommended to get done with both of the searches as this eliminates the risk of any legal issues in the future. Once you are found to be unique, you can move to the next step.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step-02-Creating-an-application\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 02 Creating an application<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After you have conducted thorough research with the help of a professional, the next step is to draft the trademark application. Make sure you are very precise and on point at this step. Again, it is recommended to take a professional\u2019s help at each stage since this stage decides if your application will be considered or not.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step-03-Registering-a-trademark\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 03: Registering a trademark<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The last step is to get this registered. Usually, the government charges a fee of INR 4,500 in case of an individual, startup or a small enterprise. In case of any other line of business, the fee is INR 9,000.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, after you have followed these steps, the Trademark Office will first check your application to see if it\u2019s already been taken. If it has, a trademark objection will be raised<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If it has no objection, it makes an advertisement in the Trade Marks Journal<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If there is no opposition from other businesses in the next four months, your trademark <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0registered within a span of six months<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Benefits-of-getting-a-trademark-for-your-business\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Benefits of getting a trademark for your business<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even the biggest of the brands like Apple, Coca Cola, Photoshop, Google etc. are seen protecting their business by getting a trademark. Here are some of the major benefits of getting one for yourself or your business:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have a registered trademark, you can stop others from using your trademarked business name\/ logo with regards to the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">goods<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0or services they provide. In other words, it guarantees the identity of the origin of any particular thing.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you own this ones, you have all the right to sell a trademark too. This means that just like any other form of an asset such as land, you can consider a license as it can be sold, licensed or assigned.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a business, it serves as a badge of loyalty and affiliation and helps in stimulating further purchases.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To conclude, it can be said that registering for a trademark is a wise decision. However, the process of registering in itself seems a bit tedious and time-consuming. But if done with proper research and care, it turns out to be one of the biggest assets for an individual as well as a business!<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>You May Also Like<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/freelancers-money-whatsapp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How Freelancers Can Make Money Using WhatsApp\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/email-marketing-strategy-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Beginner&#8217;s Guide To Effective Email Marketing<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A trademark is a brand logo that represents your business. It is a visual symbol like a word signature, name, label, numbers or a combination of a few of these elements.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":151156465,"featured_media":2235,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3367,1383],"tags":[3374],"class_list":{"0":"post-2234","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business-glossary","8":"category-business","9":"tag-trademark"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/151156465"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2234"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2382,"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2234\/revisions\/2382"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}