Trademark Guide 2026 - TM-A Filing, Nice Classification, Madrid Protocol & the 2024 TM Rules

- Paragraph 1 - the statute: The Indian trademark regime is governed by the Trade Marks Act 1999 (enacted 30 December 1999, brought into force 15 September 2003), the Trade Marks Rules 2017 (replacing the 2002 Rules from 6 March 2017), and the Trade Marks (1st Amendment) Rules 2024 (G.S.R. 247(E) of 6 March 2024). India is also a party to the Madrid Protocol (operative 8 July 2013), the Paris Convention (priority since 7 December 1998), the Nice Agreement on the International Classification of Goods and Services (12th edition, in force since 1 January 2024), and the Vienna Agreement (for the classification of figurative elements of marks - used for device marks / logos). The Trade Marks Registry (ipindia.gov.in) operates out of five offices - Mumbai (HQ), Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad - with jurisdiction allocated by the registered-office state of the applicant.