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THE TRADE MARKS ACT, 1999

[As amended by the Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Ordinance, 2021]

36A.  APPLICATION  OF  ACT  IN  CASE  OF  INTERNATIONAL  REGISTRATION  UNDER  MADRID  PROTOCOL.—

The provisions  of  this  Chapter  shall  apply  to  international  applications  and  international  registrations  under the Madrid Protocol.

36B. DEFINITIONS.—

 
In this Chapter, unless the context otherwise requires,—
(a)  “application”,  in  relation  to  a  Contracting State  or  a  Contracting  Organisation,  means  an application  made  by  a  person  who  is  a  citizen  of,  or  is  domiciled  in,  or  has  a  real  and  effective industrial or commercial establishment in, that Contracting State or a State which is a member of that Contracting Organisation, as the case may be.
Explanation.—For  the  purposes  of  this  clause,  “real  and  effective  industrial  or  commercial establishment” means and includes any establishment where some bona fide industrial or commercial activity takes place and need not necessarily be the principal place of business;
(b)  “basic  application”  means  an  application  for  the  registration  of  a  trade  mark  filed  under section 18 and which is used as a basis for applying for an international registration;
(c) “basic registration” means the registration of a trade mark under section 23 and which is used as a basis for applying for an international registration;
(d) “Common Regulations” means the Regulations concerning the implementation of the Madrid Protocol;
(e)  “Contracting Organisation” means a  Contracting  Party  that  is  an  intergovernmental organisation;
(f)  “Contracting  Party”  means  a  Contracting  State  or  Contracting  Organisation  party  to  the Madrid Protocol;
(g) “Contracting State” means a country party to the Madrid Protocol;
(h) “international application” means an application for international registration or for extension of the protection resulting from an international registration to any Contracting Party made under the Madrid Protocol;
(i)  “International  Bureau”  means the  International  Bureau  of  the  World  Intellectual  Property Organisation;
(j)  “international  registration”  means  the  registration  of  a  trade  mark  in  the  register  of  the International Bureau effected under the Madrid Protocol;
(k) “Madrid Agreement” means the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks adopted at Madrid on the 14th day of April, 1891, as subsequently revised and amended;
(l)  “Madrid  Protocol”  means  the  Protocol  relating  to  the  Madrid Agreement  Concerning  the International  Registration  of  Marks  adopted  at Madrid  on  the  27th  day  of  June,  1989,  as  amended from time to time. 

36C.  TRADE  MARKS  REGISTRY  TO  DEAL  WITH  INTERNATIONAL  APPLICATIONS.—

 
Notwithstanding  anything contained in sub-section (3) of section 5, an international application shall be dealt with by the head office of  the  Trade  Marks  Registry  or such  branch  office  of  the  Registry,  as  the  Central  Government  may,  by notification in the Official Gazette, specify. 

36D.   INTERNATIONAL   APPLICATION   ORIGINATING  FROM   INDIA.—

(1)   Where   an application   for   the registration  of  a  trade  mark  has  been  made  under  section  18  or  a trade  mark  has  been  registered  under section  23,  the  applicant or  the  registered proprietor may  make  an  international  application  on  the  form prescribed by the Common Regulations for international registration of that trade mark.

(2) A person holding an international registration may make an international application on the form prescribed by the Common Regulations for extension of the protection resulting from such registration to any other Contracting Party.

(3) An international application under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) shall designate the Contracting Parties where the protection resulting from the international registration is required.

(4) The Registrar shall certify in the prescribed manner that the particulars appearing in the international application correspond to the particulars appearing, at the time of the certification, in the application under section 18 or the registration under section 23, and shall indicate the date and number of that application or the date and number of that registration as well as the date and number of the application from which that registration resulted, as the case may be, and shall within the prescribed period, forward the international application to the International Bureau for registration, also indicating the date of the international application.

(5) Where at any time before the expiry of a period of five years of an international registration, whether such registration has been transferred to another person or not, the application under section 18 or the registration under section 23,as the case may be, has been withdrawn or cancelled or has expired or has been finally refused in respect of all or some of the goods or services listed in the international registration, the protection resulting from such international registration shall cease to have effect:
Provided that where an appeal is made against the decision of registration and an action requesting for withdrawal of application or an opposition to the application has been initiated before the expiry of the period of five years of an international registration, any final decision resulting into withdrawal, cancellation, expiration or refusal shall be deemed to have taken place before the expiry of five years of the international registration.

(6) The Registrar shall, during the period of five years beginning with the date of international registration, transmit to the International Bureau every information referred to in sub-section (5).

(7) The Registrar shall notify the International Bureau the cancellation to be effected to an international registration keeping in view the current status of the basic application or the basic registration, as the case may be. 

36E. INTERNATIONAL REGISTRATIONS WHERE INDIA HAS BEEN DESIGNATED.

 
(1) The Registrar shall, after receipt of an advice from the International Bureau about any international registration where India has been designated, keep a record of the particulars of that international registration in the prescribed manner. 
 
(2) Where, after recording the particulars of any international registration referred to in sub-section (1), the Registrar is satisfied that in the circumstances of the case the protection of trade mark in India should not be granted or such protection should be granted subject to conditions or limitations or to conditions additional to or different from the conditions or limitations subject to which the international registration has been accepted, he may, after hearing the applicant if he so desires, refuse grant of protection and inform the International Bureau in the prescribed manner within eighteen months from the date on which the advice referred to in sub-section(1) was received.
 
(3) Where the Registrar finds nothing in the particulars of an international registration to refuse grant of protection under sub-section (2), he shall within the prescribed period cause such international registration to be advertised in the prescribed manner.
 
(4) The provisions of sections 9 to 21 (both inclusive), 63 and 74 shall apply mutatis mutandis in relation to an international registration as if such international registration was an application for registration of a trade mark under section 18.
 
(5) When the protection of an international registration has not been opposed and the time for notice of opposition has expired, the Registrar shall within a period of eighteen months of the receipt of advice under sub-section (1) notify the International Bureau its acceptance of extension of protection of the trade mark under such international registration and, in case the Registrar fails to notify the International Bureau, it shall be deemed that the protection has been extended to the trade mark.
 
(6) Where a registered proprietor of a trade mark makes an international registration of that trade mark and designates India, the international registration from the date of the registration shall be deemed to replace the registration held in India without prejudice to any right acquired under such previously held registration and  the  Registrar  shall,  upon  request  by  the  applicant,  make  necessary  entry  in  the register referred to in sub-section (1) of section 6.
 
(7) A holder of international registration of a trade mark who designates India and who has not been extended  protection  in  India  shall  have  the  same  remedy which  is  available  to  any  person  making  an application for the registration of a trademark under section 18 and which has not resulted in registration under section 23.
 
(8)  Where  at  any  time  before  the  expiry  of  a  period  of  five  years  of  an international  registration, whether such registration has been transferred to another person or not, the related basic application or, as the  case  may  be,  the  basic registration  in  a  Contracting  Party  other  than  India  has  been  withdrawn  or cancelled or  has  expired  or  has  been  finally  refused  in  respect  of  all  or  some  of  the  goods  or services listed in the international registration, the protection resulting from such international registration in India shall cease to have effect. 

36F. EFFECTS OF INTERNATIONAL REGISTRATIONS.—

(1) From the date of the international registration of a trade mark where India has been designated or the date of the recording in the register of the International Bureau about the extension of the protection resulting from an international registration of a trade mark to India, the protection of the trade mark in India shall be the same as if the trade mark had been registered in India.

(2) The indication of classes of goods and services given by the applicant shall not bind the Registrar with regard to the determination of the scope of the protection of the trade mark. 

36G. DURATION AND RENEWAL OF INTERNATIONAL REGISTRATION.—

(1) The international registration of a trade mark at the International Bureau shall be for a period of ten years and may be renewed for a period of ten years from the expiry of the preceding period.

(2) Subject to payment of a surcharge prescribed by the rules, a grace period of six months shall be allowed for renewal of the international registration.

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