Indian Trademark Law

Trademark Infringement under Section 29 – A Complete Analysis

Trademark law exists to protect two distinct but related interests simultaneously. It protects the proprietor of a registered mark against the unauthorized use of that mark by others who would free-ride on the reputation and goodwill that the proprietor has built. And it protects consumers against confusion – against the risk that they will be […]

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Patel Field Marshal Agencies & Anr. v. P.M. Diesels Ltd. & Ors.

Supreme Court of India | Civil Appeal Nos. 4767-4769 of 2001 Decided on 29 November 2017 Background P.M. Diesels Ltd. was the registered owner of three trademarks all carrying the words “Field Marshal.” The registrations dated back to 1964 and 1968 and covered the marks “Field Marshal,” “Field Marshal” in a specific lettering style and

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Relative Grounds for Refusal under Section 11 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999

The examination of a trademark application in India operates at two distinct levels. The first level, governed by Section 9 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999, concerns the inherent qualities of the mark itself – whether it is distinctive, whether it is descriptive, whether it offends public policy. These are the absolute grounds and they

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Kirloskar Diesel Recon Pvt. Ltd. & Ors. vs. Kirloskar Proprietary Ltd. & Ors.

Bombay High Court | October 10, 1995 | Appeal from Order Nos. 1152, 1153 & 1154 of 1994 AIR 1996 Bom 149 Background The Kirloskar Group of Companies is one of India’s most storied industrial conglomerates, tracing its origins to 1888 when Laxmanrao Kashinath Kirloskar began a bicycle repair business in Belgaum. By 1920, the

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