Basic
Drafting and filing of opposition notice. Exclusive pricing for trademark applications filed by IndiaFilings. Inclusive of government fee and service tax.
Premium
Drafting and filing of opposition notice. For trademark applications NOT filed by IndiaFilings. Inclusive of government fee and service tax.
Standard
Drafting and filing of opposition notice with written notice to the other trademark applicant. Inclusive of government fee and service tax.
A trademark application filed by an applicant can be opposed by any person for various reasons during the trademark application stage . The person filing the opposition need not have any commercial or personal interest in the matter or be a prior registered trademark owner.
According to Section 21 of the Trademark Act, “any person” can file a trademark notice, irrespective of commercial or personal interest in the matter. The question of bona fides of the opponent does not arise. Hence, trademark opposition filing can be filed by a customer, member of the public or competitor or any other person. Also, the person filing the trademark opposition need not be a prior registered trade mark owner.
A trademark opposition can be filed under different sections like absolute grounds, relative grounds, prohibited mark or the opponent may also raise their own objection with regard to the proprietorship of the trademark opposed. The Indian Trademark Law does not provide any specific grounds of opposition. Hence, the reason for trademark opposition could be varied.
The following are some of the grounds for trademark opposition in India:
After advertisement of a trademark in the Trade Marks Journal, any person can oppose registration of the trademark for a period of 3 months (which may be extended by a period not exceeding 1 month). Trademark opposition filings can be done only at the Trademark Registrars office and cannot be taken directly to a Court or the Appellate Board (IPAB). If a trademark opposition is successful, the registration of the trademark will be refused. If the trademark opposition application is rejected, the trademark will be registered.
To initiate trademark opposition proceedings a notice of trademark opposition can be filed by any person within four months of date of advertisement or re-advertisement of the application in the Trademark Journal. The trademark opposition must be on Trademark Form 5 in the prescribed manner and filed with applicable fees. The trademark opposition notice should contain the following information:
Once the trademark opposition notice is filed with the Trademark Registrar, the Registrar would serve a copy of the trademark opposition notice to the trademark applicant. Within two months of receipt of the trademark opposition notice, the trademark applicant must file a counter statement. If the trademark applicant fails to file the counter statement within the prescribed period, the trademark application shall be deemed to have been “abandoned”. To know more about trademark application status, refer to "Understanding Trademark Registration Status".
Based on the trademark opposition filed and the counter-statement filed, the Registrar may call for the hearing of the parties. The Registrar then has the option to rule on the trademark registration application and trademark opposition filing based on the evidence presented.
Form TM-5 must be filed by the opponent for opposing a trademark. The opposition must be filed in the appropriate trademark office, as per the application. The trademark opposition or TM-5 must contain the following details:
Details about the trademark application
Details about the opposing party
The notice of opposition should be signed by the trademark opponent or by an authorized person who is acquainted with the facts of the case. The person signing should reference to the numbered paragraphs of the notice of opposition, along with date and the place at which it was signed.