how to get information on registration of design?
after registration of designs the best view of the article along with other bibliographic data will be notified in the official journal of the patent office, which is being published on every friday.
a registration of design will cease to be effective on non-payment of extension fee for further term of five years if the same is not paid before the expiry of original period of 10 years. however, lapsed designs may be restored provided the following conditions are satisfied: application for restoration in form-4 with prescribed fees is filed within one year from the date of lapse stating the ground for such non-payment of extension fee with sufficient reasons. if the application for restoration is allowed the proprietor is required to pay the prescribed extension fee and requisite additional fee and finally the lapsed registration is restored.
after registration of designs the best view of the article along with other bibliographic data will be notified in the official journal of the patent office, which is being published on every friday. yes. both published and unpublished works can be registered. copyright in works published before 21st january, 1958, i.e., before the copyright act, 1957 came in force, can also be registered, provided the works still enjoy copyright. three copies of published work may be sent along with the application. if the work to be registered is unpublished, a copy of the manuscript has to be sent along with the application for affixing the stamp of the copyright office in proof of the work having been registered. in case two copies of the manuscript are sent, one copy of the same duly stamped will be returned, while the other will be retained, as far as possible, in the copyright office for record and will be kept confidential. it would also be open to the applicant to send only extracts from the unpublished work instead of the whole manuscript and ask for the return of the extracts after being stamped with the seal of the copyright office.
when a work has been registered as unpublished and subsequently it is published, the applicant may apply for changes in particulars entered in the register of copyright in form v with prescribed fee. the process of registration and fee for registration of copyright is same. yes. computer software or programme can be registered as a 'literary work'. as per section 2 (o) of the copyright act, 1957 "literary work" includes computer programmes, tables and compilations, including computer databases. 'source code' has also to be supplied along with the application for registration of copyright for software products. the copyright office has been set up to provide registration facilities to all types of works and is headed by a registrar of copyrights and is located at 4th floor jeevan deep building , new delhi- 110 001. the applications for registration of works can be filled at the counter provided at the copyright office from 2.30 p.m. to 4.30. p.m. from monday to friday. the applications are also accepted by post. on-line registration through "e-filing facility " has been provided from 14th february 2014, which facilitates the applicants to file applications at the time and place chosen by them. the copyright act, 1957 protects original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works and cinematograph films and sound recordings from unauthorized uses. unlike the case with patents, copyright protects the expressions and not the ideas. there is no copyright protection for ideas, procedures, methods of operation or mathematical concepts as such (please see article 9.2. of trips). the procedure for registration is as follows:
1. separate applications should be made for registration of each work
2. each application should be accompanied by the requisite fee prescribed in the second schedule to the rules ; and
3. the applications should be signed by the applicant or the advocate in whose favor a vakalatnama or power of attorney has been executed. the power of attorney signed by the party and accepted by the advocate should also be enclosed.
4. the fee is either in the form of demand draft,indian postal order favoring "registrar of copyright payable at new delhi" or through e payment
5. each and every column of the statement of particulars and statement of further particulars should be replied specifically. please go to the link fee details on the home page for details. one can pay fee in favor of 'registrar of copyrights' payable at 'new delhi'. the fee is not reimbursable in case of rejection of the application. copyright is a right given by the law to creators of literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works and producers of cinematograph films and sound recordings. in fact, it is a bundle of rights including, inter alia, rights of reproduction, communication to the public, adaptation and translation of the work. there could be slight variations in the composition of the rights depending on the work.
copyright ensures certain minimum safeguards of the rights of authors over their creations, thereby protecting and rewarding creativity. creativity being the keystone of progress, no civilized society can afford to ignore the basic requirement of encouraging the same. economic and social development of a society is dependent on creativity. the protection provided by copyright to the efforts of writers, artists, designers, dramatists, musicians, architects and producers of sound recordings, cinematograph films and computer software, creates an atmosphere conducive to creativity, which induces them to create more and motivates others to create. no. acquisition of copyright is automatic and it does not require any formality. copyright comes into existence as soon as a work is created and no formality is required to be completed for acquiring copyright. however, certificate of registration of copyright and the entries made therein serve as prima facie evidence in a court of law with reference to dispute relating to ownership of copyright. yes. as per the principles of natural justice' (i.e audi altram paltram) no one can be punished without being heard. as per the rule 27 of the copyright rules, 1958 no application is rejected without giving an opportunity to be heard. the applicant himself or his/her pleader may appear in the hearing.
as per section 72 of the copyright act, 1957 any person aggrieved by the final decision or order of the registrar of copyrights may, within three months from the date of the order or decision, appeal to the copyright board. a web-site contains several works such as literary works, artistic works (photographs etc.), sound recordings, video clips, cinematograph films and broadcastings and computer software too. therefore, a separate application has to be filed for registration of all these works. copyright does not ordinarily protect titles by themselves or names, short word combinations, slogans, short phrases, methods, plots or factual information. copyright does not protect ideas or concepts. to get the protection of copyright a work must be original. yes, it is possible to transfer the right through assignment, agreement, transmission with terms and condition in writing or by operation of law. however, certain restrictive conditions not being the subject matter of protection relating to registration of design should not be included in the terms and condition of the contract/agreement etc. an application in form-10, with prescribed fees in respect of one design and appropriate fees for each additional design, for registration of the transfer documents is required to be made by the beneficiary to the controller within six months from the date of execution of the instruments or within further period not exceeding six months in aggregate. an original/notarized copy of the instrument to be registered is required to be enclosed with the application. if anyone contravenes the copyright in a design he is liable for every offence to pay a sum not exceeding rs. 25,000/- to the registered proprietor subject to a maximum of rs. 50,000/- recoverable as contract debt in respect of any one design. the registered proprietor may bring a suit for the recovery of the damages for any such contravention and for injunction against repetition of the same. total sum recoverable shall not exceed rs. 50,000/-as contract debt as stated in section 22(2)(a). the suit for infringement, recovery of damage etc should not be filed in any court below the court of district judge. object of the designs act is to protect new or original designs so created to be applied or applicable to particular article to be manufactured by industrial process or means. sometimes purchase of articles for use is influenced not only by their practical efficiency but also by their appearance. the important purpose of design registration is to see that the artisan, creator, originator of a design having aesthetic look is not deprived of his bonafide reward by others applying it to their goods. the registration of a design confers upon the registered proprietor 'copyright' in the design for the period of registration. 'copyright' means the exclusive right to apply a design to the article belonging to the class in which it is registered. the duration of the registration of a design is initially ten years from the date of registration, but in cases where claim to priority has been allowed the duration is ten years from the priority date. this initial period of registration may be extended by further period of 5 years on an application made in form-3 accompanied by prescribed fees to the controller before the expiry of the said initial period of ten years. the proprietor of a design may make application for such extension even as soon as the design is registered. the date of registration except in case of priority is the actual date of filing of the application. in case of registration of design with priority, the date of registration is the date of making an application in the reciprocal country. piracy of a design means the application of a design or its imitation to any article belonging to class of articles in which the design has been registered for the purpose of sale or importation of such articles without the written consent of the registered proprietor. publishing such articles or exposing terms for sale with knowledge of the unauthorized application of the design to them also involves piracy of the design. a mark used for denoting that movable property belongs to a particular person is called a property mark. it means that marking any movable property or goods, or any case, package or receptacle containing goods; or using any case, package or receptacle, with any mark thereon. practical example: the mark used by the indian railway on their goods may be termed as a property mark for the purpose of easy identification of the owner.. india is one of the countries party to the paris convention so the provisions for the right of priority are applicable. on the basis of a regular first application filed in one of the contracting state, the applicant may within the six months apply for protection in other contracting states, latter application will be regarded as if it had been filed on the same day as the first application. intellectual property is the property, which has been created by exercise of intellectual faculty. it is the result of persons intellectual activities. thus intellectual property refers to creation of mind such as inventions, designs for industrial articles, literary, artistic work, symbols which are ultimately used in commerce. intellectual property rights allow the creators or owners to have the benefits from their works when these are exploited commercially. these rights are statutory rights governed in accordance with the provisions of corresponding legislations. intellectual property rights reward creativity & human endeavor which fuel the progress of humankind. the intellectual property is classified into seven categories i.e
patent
industrial design
trade marks
copyright
geographical indications
lay out designs of integrated circuits
protection of undisclosed information/trade secret according to trips agreements. the applications for registration of designs applied to articles are classified according to the third schedule of designs rules, 2001 for its classification. this is mainly based on the international classification system for industrial designs known as locarno classification. only one class number is to be mentioned in one particular application which is mandatory under the rules. this classification has been made on the basis of articles on which the design is applied.
practical example: if the design is applied to a toothbrush it will be classified under class 04-02. similarly if the design is applied to a calculator, it will be classified in class 18-01. subsequent application by the same proprietor for registration of same or similar design applied to any article of the same class is possible, but period of registration will be valid only up to period of previous registration of same design. under the designs act, 2000 the "article" means any article of manufacture and any substance, artificial, or partly artificial and partly natural; and includes any part of an article capable of being made and sold separately. 'design' means only the features of shape, configuration, pattern or ornament or composition of lines or colour or combination thereof applied to any article whether two dimensional or three dimensional or in both forms, by any industrial process or means, whether manual, mechanical or chemical, separate or combined, which in the finished article appeal to and are judged solely by the eye, but does not include any mode or principle or construction or anything which is in substance a mere mechanical device, and does not include any trade mark, as define in clause (v) of sub-section of section 2 of the trade and merchandise marks act, 1958, property mark or artistic works as defined under section 2(c) of the copyright act, 1957. an artistic work as defined under section 2(c) of the copyright act, 1957 is not a subject matter for registration which reads as follows:
"artistic works" means: -
a painting, a sculpture, a drawing (including a diagram, map, chart or plan) on engraving or a photograph, whether or not such work possesses artistic quality.
an work of architecture and
any other work of artistic craftsmanship. the register of designs is a document maintained by the patent office, kolkata as a statutory requirement. it contains the design number, class number, date of filing (in this country) and reciprocity date (if any), name and address of proprietor and such other matters as would affect the validity of proprietorship of the design and it is open for public inspection on payment of prescribed fee & extract from register may also be obtained on request with the prescribed fee. if a group of articles meets the following requirements then that group of articles may be regarded as a set of articles under the designs act, 2000:
ordinarily on sale or intended to be used together.
all having common design even though articles are different (same class).
same general character.
generally, an article having the same design and sold in different sizes is not considered as a set of articles. practical example: "tea set", "pen set", "knife set" etc. the design should be new or original, not previously published or used in any country before the date of application for registration. the novelty may reside in the application of a known shape or pattern to new subject matter.
the design should relate to features of shape, configuration, pattern or ornamentation applied or applicable to an article.
the design should be applied or applicable to any article by any industrial process.
the features of the design in the finished article should appeal to and are judged solely by the eye. this implies that the design must appear and should be visible on the finished article, for which it is meant.
any mode or principle of construction or operation or any thing which is in substance a mere mechanical device, would not be a registrable design. for instance a key having its novelty only in the shape of its corrugation or bent at the portion intended to engage with levers inside the lock associated with, cannot be registered as a design under the act.
the design should not include any trade mark or property mark or artistic works as defined under the copyright act, 1957. yes, it would be always advantageous to the registered proprietors to mark the article so as to indicate the number of the registered design. otherwise, the registered proprietor would not be entitled to claim damages from any infringer unless the registered proprietor establishes that the registered proprietor took all proper steps to ensure the marking of the article, or unless the registered proprietor show that the infringement took place after the person guilty thereof knew or had received notice of the existence of the copyright in the design. no, design means a conception or suggestion or idea of a shape or pattern which can be applied to an article or capable to be applied by industrial process or means. example- a new shape which can be applied to a pen thus capable of producing a new appearance of a pen on the visual appearance. it is not mandatory to produce the article first and then make an application. a registration of design will cease to be effective on non-payment of extension fee for further term of five years if the same is not paid before the expiry of original period of 10 years. however, lapsed designs may be restored provided the following conditions are satisfied: application for restoration in form-4 with prescribed fees is filed within one year from the date of lapse stating the ground for such non-payment of extension fee with sufficient reasons. if the application for restoration is allowed the proprietor is required to pay the prescribed extension fee and requisite additional fee and finally the lapsed registration is restored. once a design is registered, it gives the legal right to bring an action against those persons (natural/legal entity) who infringe the design right, in the court not lower than district court in order to stop such exploitation and to claim any damage to which the registered proprietor is legally entitled. however, it may please be noted that if the design is not registered under the designs act, 2000 there will be no legal right to take any action against the infringer under the provisions of the designs act, 2000.
the patent office does not become involved with any issue relating to enforcement of right accrued by registration. similarly the patent office does not involve itself with any issue relating to exploitation or commercialization of the registered design. yes, the same applicant can apply again since no publication of the abandoned application is made by the patent office, provided the applicant does not publish the said design in the meanwhile. the registration of a design may be cancelled at any time after the registration of design on a petition for cancellation in form 8 with prescribed fee to the controller of designs on the following grounds:
that the design has been previously registered in india or
that it has been published in india or elsewhere prior to date of registration or
the design is not new or original or
design is not registrable or
it is not a design under clause (d) of section 2. name and address of the registered proprietor, or address for service can be altered in the register of designs provided this alteration is not made by way of change of ownership through conveyance i.e. deed of assignment, transmission, license agreement or by any operation of law. application in form-22 with prescribed fee of should be filed to the controller of designs with all necessary documents in support of the application as required. the application for registration of design can be filed by the applicant himself or through a professional person (i.e. patent agent, legal practitioner). however, for the applicants not resident of india an agent residing in india has to be employed. yes, registered designs are open for public inspection only after publication in the official journal on payment of prescribed fee on a request in form-5. any person, claiming to be the proprietor of a trademark used or proposed to be used by him, may apply in writing in prescribed manner for registration. the application should contain the trademark, the goods/services, name and address of applicant and agent (if any) with power of attorney, the period of use of the mark. the application should be in english or hindi. it should be filed at the appropriate office. the applications can be submitted personally at the front office counter of the respective office or can be sent by post. these can also be filed online through the e-filing gateway available at the official website. the registered proprietor of a trademark can create, establish and protect the goodwill of his products or services, he can stop other traders from unlawfully using his trademark, sue for damages and secure destruction of infringing goods and or labels.
the government earns revenue as a fee for registration and protection of registration of trademarks
the legal professionals render services to the entrepreneurs regarding selection registration and protection of trademarks and get remunerations for the same
the purchaser and ultimately consumers of goods and services get options to choose the best. for filing new applications there are prescribed forms depending on the nature of application such as form tm-1, tm-2, tm-3, tm-8, tm-51 etc. fees: rs.4000/
to file a notice of opposition to oppose an application published in the trade marks journal (formtm-5). fees: rs. 2,500/- for each class covered
for renewal of a regd. trademark (form tm-12 ). fees: rs.5,000/- surcharge for belated renewal (form tm-10).fees: rs. 3,000/-
restoration of removed mark (form tm-13) fees: 5,000/- application for rectification of a registered trademark (form tm-26) fees: rs. 3,000/-
legal certificate (form tm-46) (providing details of entries in the register) fees: rs.500/-
copyright search request and issuance of certificate (form tm-60) fees: rs, 5,000/-. under modern business condition, a trademark performs four functions
it identifies the goods / or services and its origin.
it guarantees its unchanged quality.
it advertises the goods/services.
it creates an image for the goods/ services. the register of trademark currently maintained in electronic form contains inter alia the trademark the class and goods/ services in respect of which it is registered including particulars affecting the scope of registration of rights conferred; the address of the proprietors; particulars of trade or other description of the proprietor; the convention application date (if applicable); where a trademark has been registered with the consent of proprietor of an earlier mark or earlier rights, that fact. a trademark (popularly known as brand name) in layman's language is a visual symbol which may be a word signature, name, device, label, numerals or combination of colours used by one undertaking on goods or services or other articles of commerce to distinguish it from other similar goods or services originating from a different undertaking. the legal requirements to register a trademark under the act are: the selected mark should be capable of being represented graphically (that is in the paper form). it should be capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one undertaking from those of others. it should be used or proposed to be used mark in relation to goods or services for the purpose of indicating or so as to indicate a connection in the course of trade between the goods or services and some person have the right to use the mark with or without identity of that person. the national statues i.e., the trade marks act, 1999 and rules made thereunder.
international multilateral convention.
national bilateral treaty.
regional treaty.
decision of the courts.
office practice reduced in manuals and guidelines and rulings of the courts
decision of intellectual property appellate board.
text books written by academician and professional experts. any name (including personal or surname of the applicant or predecessor in business or the signature of the person), which is not unusual for trade to adopt as a mark.
an invented word or any arbitrary dictionary word or words, not being directly descriptive of the character or quality of the goods/service.
letters or numerals or any combination thereof.
the right to proprietorship of a trademark may be acquired by either registration under the act or by use in relation to particular goods or service.
devices, including fancy devices or symbols
monograms
combination of colors or even a single color in combination with a word or device
shape of goods or their packaging
marks constituting a 3- dimensional sign.
sound marks when represented in conventional notation or described in words by being graphically represented. the registration of a trademark confers upon the owner the exclusive right to the use the trademark in relation to the goods or services in respect of which the mark is registered and to indicate so by using the symbol (r), and seek the relief of infringement in appropriate courts in the country. the exclusive right is however subject to any conditions entered on the register such as limitation of area of use etc. also, where two or more persons have registered identical or nearly similar marks due to special circumstances, such exclusive right does not operate against each other. if it is a word it should be easy to speak, spell and remember. the best trademarks are invented words or coined words or unique geometrical designs. please avoid selection of a geographical name, common personal name or surname. no one can have 2 monopoly right on it. avoid adopting laudatory word or words that describe the quality of goods (such as best, perfect, super etc.) it is advisable to conduct a market survey to ascertain if same/similar mark is used in the market. the basic principle is that the trademark applied for should not be substantially altered affecting its identity. subject to this changes are permissible according to rules detailed in the subordinate legislation. it can be removed on application to the registrar on prescribed form on the ground that the mark is wrongly remaining on the register. the registrar also can suo moto issue notice for removal of a registered trademark?