Trademark / Copyright / Patent

Trademark Registration

Basically, a trademark is a “brand” or “logo” that you can use to distinguish your product from those of your competitors. Through trademark registration, you can protect your brand or logo by restricting other people from using the same. For e.g. the logo of NIKE and their tagline JUST DO IT is a registered trademark. It provides them protection as it is illegal to use the same logo or tagline.

A registered trademark is an intangible asset for a business and is used to protect the company’s investment in the brand or symbol. TM number is assigned within a period of three days by Trademark department but it takes almost two years for it to be registered so that you can use to use ® symbol with your brand name. It is always advised to get trademark registration because getting your company registered will not protect your brand against those who might initiate using identical or similar marks.

Copyright Registration

Copyright registration in India is enrolled under Copyright Act, 1957. It provides a kind of safety so that the work carried out by the creator of work cannot be copied by anyone and to restore the uniqueness of the product. There are bundles of rights under Copyright like communication to the public, the rights of reproduction, adaptation, and translation of the work.

Copyright is basically a legal right which has been provided to the creators of literature, dramatics, musical and artistic work and even the producer’s films and sound recordings. Sometimes even businesses and startups get copyright registration related to instruction manuals, product literature and user guides. Usually, copyright is possessed by a creator of the work, but sometimes even the employer of its creator or the person who has authorised the work can own the copyright.

Patent Registration

A patent registration helps in getting an intellectual property right to an invention carried out by an individual or firm. IP department has been initiated by Indian government to grant you the full right to register your invention under patent (but only if it is unique). In return the inventor must produce all the proofs related to the invention as asked by the government. It also ensures that owner gets more preference over other person for your particular invention. In India, Patent is being governed by the Patent Act 1970 & Patent Rules 1972.

Patent does not long for a lifetime. After a period of 20 years it falls under the public domain. The invention can be anything such as process, art, method to manufacture, particular apparatus, machine, computer software, technical application, chemicals or drugs. Patent registration can be done through StartupEase LLP in Bhiwadi (Rajasthan) or NCR.