Reforms At The Indian Trade Mark Registry

When Chaitanya Prasad was named Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks, he was not only replacing the visionary Controller General PH Kurian; he was also joining an office which is under a myriad of backlogs and pending matters along with operational and organizational issues to deal with. Reportedly, there were some 439,910 pending trademark applications in the year 2009-2010. Prasad has promised to reorganize the Indian Intellectual Property Office with the aim to clear its huge backlogs and upgrade its technology. Prasad has been holding meetings with stakeholders to discuss the issues and demands of the industry. As many as 13 office orders were issued by the CGPDTM regarding reorganization of the functioning of the Trade Marks Registry with directions for constitution and reconstitution of several departments/sections and defining their functions and responsibilities. This article explores some of the major reforms that would be brought out by such