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India's IP regime is governed by five core statutes - the [Trade Marks Act 1999](https://ipindia.gov.in/trade-marks.htm) (administered by the Trade Marks Registry under the DPIIT), the [Copyright Act 1957](https://copyright.gov.in/) (Copyright Office under the Department of Higher Education), the [Patents Act 1970](https://ipindia.gov.in/patents.htm) (Patent Office at Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi), the [Designs Act 2000](https://ipindia.gov.in/designs.htm) (Controller of Designs at Kolkata), and the [Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act 1999](https://ipindia.gov.in/gi.htm) (GI Registry at Chennai). India is also a signatory to the [Madrid Protocol](https://www.wipo.int/madrid/en/) (effective 8 July 2013), the [Paris Convention](https://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/paris/), the [Berne Convention](https://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/berne/), and the [Patent Cooperation Treaty](https://www.wipo.int/pct/en/) (PCT). Appeals from IP Office orders now go directly to the High Courts (IP Division at Delhi HC since 21 July 2021; Madras HC since 11 October 2021) following the [Tribunal Reforms Act 2021](https://egazette.gov.in/) which abolished the IPAB. I-Pro Solutions' 45-service IP practice is led by registered Trademark Agents and registered Patent Agents (under Sections 124 and 126 of the respective Acts). We handle the full IP lifecycle - search, filing, prosecution, opposition, hearing, renewal, assignment, enforcement - plus 13 country-specific international trademark jurisdictions through Madrid Protocol and direct-filing routes.
Common questions about Intellectual Property services and procedures.
The standard lifecycle under the Trade Marks Act 1999 and Trade Marks Rules 2017 is 12-24 months: Form TM-A filing → formalities check → examination report (typically 30-90 days) → reply to examination report → publication in the Trade Marks Journal → 4-month opposition window → registration certificate. Expedited examination under Rule 11 reduces the examination stage to 15-30 days.
Under the Trade Marks (Amendment) Rules 2017, the Form TM-A government fee is ₹4,500 per class for natural persons and startups, ₹9,000 per class for small entities, and ₹9,000-₹18,000 per class for others (companies not qualifying as small entity). The fee is payable per Nice Classification class, so a multi-class application for 3 classes triples the fee.
Under Section 9 of the Patents Act 1970, a provisional specification (Form 1 + provisional) secures a priority date for an invention that is not yet fully developed. The complete specification (Form 1 + Form 2) must be filed within 12 months, extendable by 1 month under Rule 9(1). The complete specification is examined; the provisional is not.
No. Under Section 45 of the Copyright Act 1957, registration is voluntary - copyright subsists from the moment the work is created. However, registration creates a presumptive public record that is admissible in court under Section 35 of the Copyright Act, and is practically required for licensing, assignment recording, and enforcement.
The Madrid Protocol (effective in India from 8 July 2013) allows an Indian trademark owner to file a single international application through the IP India Office in one language, designating up to 130+ member jurisdictions, paying one fee in Swiss Francs. The international registration is dependent on the Indian base application for 5 years, after which it becomes independent.