Certification Marks: An Indian Perspective

A certification mark certifies the nature or origin of the goods or services to which it has been applied. This includes the region or location or origin, materials of construction, method or mode of manufacture or provision, quality assurance, accuracy of the goods or services or any definable characteristic of the goods or services. It can also certify manufacture or provision of services by members of a union or other organization to certain standards. The sole purpose of a certification mark is to indicate that certain standards have been met.

Section 2(1) (e) of Indian Trade Marks Act defines a certification mark as "a mark capable of distinguishing the goods or services in connection with which it is used in the course of trade which are certified by the proprietor of the mark in respect of origin, material, mode of manufacture of goods or performance of services, quality, accuracy or other characteristics from goods or services not so certified".