Change in Bill okayed to protect Indian trademarks globally

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New Delhi, Nov 20 : In a bid to ensure better protection for Indian trademarks across the world, the government on Thursday approved modification in the Trade Marks (Amendment) Bill. Talking to media persons after the meeting of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office, Prithviraj Chavan, said, “The amended Bill will provide better protection to Indian trade marks in designated member countries and afford reciprocal protection to trade marks from member countries abroad.”

It will thus encourage transfer of technology through trademark licensing and franchising and generally promote overall business confidence in Indian intellectual property rights (IPR) system globally, he added. The approval given by the Cabinet for modification of the Trade Marks (Amendment) Bill, 2007, with certain consequential changes was on the basis of recommendations contained in the report of the department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce, the minister said. The Bill would be introduced in Parliament, he added.

The Cabinet had approved in February, 2007, introduction of the Trade Marks (Amendment) Bill. Accordingly, the Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in August, 2007. The committee presented its report to both Houses of Parliament in March this year. It endorsed the proposal and objectives of the Bill in general and agreed with most of the provisions of the Bill. The modification in the Trade Marks (Amendment) Bill would help India in joining Madrid Protocol on Trade Marks. According to the Bill, the trade mark applications will have to be published within 18 months of its filing.

Commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath had last year said India is at an advanced stage of joining the Madrid Protocol. Madrid Protocol is a simple, facilitative and cost-effective system for registration of international trademarks. India’s membership of the Madrid Protocol will help Indian companies to register their trade marks in the member countries of the Protocol through a single application, the minister had stated.