Registering your trademark is one way of securing your brand and other intellectual property in India. Nonetheless, even after registration, one must still confirm that everything is okay with the registration. So, how can you verify this?
Step 1: Get a Copy of the Trademark Registration Certificate
The starting point should be looking for the original trademark registration certificate that was given by the Trademarks Registry. This document contains some vital details concerning your trademark registration, for instance, the registration number, when it was registered, any of the included products or services under this mark, etc.
Step 2: Consult The Trademark Registry Database
It would be best if you checked whether your trademark has been registered by going to the official CGPDTM website and typing the “Trademark Search” section in your registration number. It will tell you if it your Trademark registration online is still valid.
Alternatively, you may also carry out a search based on the trademark name/logo – which would also provide information on whether the particular mark has already been taken up or not, including details such as proprietorship, grant date, & nature of commodities protected under this sign, etc.
Step 3: Confirm Renewal and Maintenance
Trademark registrations are valid for ten years in India. To renew the protection every ten years, you need to pay a fee called the renewal fee.
Check if there have been any consistent renewals for a particular registration by searching through the Trademark Registry database. The system will indicate the next due date for renewal within the registration details.
Note that in order to maintain your registration, you will also be required to submit some documents and make certain payments. Such documents may include an affidavit or declaration of use, which needs to be renewed every five years.
Step 4: Monitor for Trademark Infringement
After registering your trademark, it is crucial that you monitor the market from time to time to ensure that no third party is using it unlawfully. The infringer could either be competitors who have similar names/logos in the market or those who engage in packaging imitations.
Even with a registered trademark, one must monitor the market to prevent illegal usage by others. For instance, it may mean keeping watch on whether business rivals adopt homogenous brand names, signs, or packages.
Through the use of intellectual property-watching services that create alerts for trademark monitoring, one can identify any conflicting new applications or registrations very easily.
Conclusion
If you follow these steps, you will have confidence that your trademark is registered in India & remain assured about its protection. To protect your brand and ensure proper management of trademarks, checking them regularly is very important.
In case you need any further guidance with regard to online Trademark Registration, please feel free to contact us at 8881-069-069.
Now you can also Download E-Startup Mobile App and Never miss the latest updates relating to your business.