The first week of July 2017 comes up with a paradigm in patent licensing when two global cellular technology leaders, Telecoms network equipment maker Nokia and Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi announced business collaboration and a multi-year patent agreement, including a cross-license to each company’s cellular standard-essential patents.
Recently the iconic Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai has acquired an ‘Image Trademark’ under the Trade Mark Act 1999 for its architectural design. This is the first ever building in the country which got an intellectual property rights protection under the Image trademark. The move was motivated to protect the distinctiveness of the building’s legendary image & structure.
The new Trademark Rules have come into force on 6th March 2017¬ owing to the exponentially increasing number of trademark applications in the country. One of the most notable, as well as exceptionally priced amendments, is enumerated under Rule 124 of these new rules that have completely transmuted the procedure for the registration of a Well-Known Trademark.