The 7 Steps Involved In Trademark Registration

The 7 Steps Involved In Trademark Registration

Ever wondered what is the entire procedure of registering a trademark? If so, then this post is for you. Below, we take an overall look at the seven stages of a trademark registration, starting right from searching through the trademark database to the final step of being awarded a trademark by the Trademark Registrar Office.

Search Your Trademark: 

The first thing to do is to check and make sure that the trademark you have selected is not already registered. This process can also help you in identifying existing trademarks that bears a close resemblance to yours, thereby enabling you to do the required modifications to make your trademark truly unique.

File For Trademark: 

Next, you can file for the trademark, either online, or at any of the Trademark Registrar Offices. If you own a company and have used any professional registration service while doing your private limited company registration in India, then it is better that you use the same agency for filing your trademark too. You will have to submit the details of your business, address and so on while filing the trademark.  

Allotting The Trademark:

You will then be assigned a trademark allotment number by the Trademark Registrar, which you can track online. You will receive the number usually within a day or two after the registrar receives your application.

Applying Vienna Codification: 

The Trademark Registrar will then try to classify your trademark based on the Vienna Codification of 1973, which is a universally accepted classification of marks. During this stage, your application status will be displayed as being ‘Sent For Vienna Codification’

Examining The Trademark: 

An officer from the Trademark Registrar Office will examine your trademark and make sure that it complies with the established requirements needed for a trademark. If the officer finds any problem with it, he can raise a trademark objection. You can reply to the trademark objection online, either by showing why the objection has no grounds or by making the necessary changes to overcome the objections. Now, if the officer is okay with your trademark, then it will be sent for publishing in the Trademark Journal.

Publishing The Trademark:

Once your trademark is published in the journal, the public will have about 90 days to file an objection against it. If such a development were to occur, a hearing will be held by an officer, who will later decide whether the objection has any validity or not. If there are no objections, then your trademark is ready to be registered.

Registering The Trademark: 

A certificate will then be issued, which validates your claim of being the sole owner of the trademark. You can now use the official trademark symbol next to the trademarked name or logo.

The above is the general process of a trademark registration procedure. And taking into account the complexity involved, it is recommended that you consult a good trademark registration service to get the job done.