Govt approval must for use of official logo of Indian Patent Office: DPIIT order

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It also cautioned the general public, startups, and MSMEs to verify the credentials of entities offering IP registration services and to rely solely on the official portal. File | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

No person, business entity, digital platform, trademark or patent agent, or legal practitioner can display, replicate, or use the official logo of the Indian Patent Office in any medium without prior approval from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, according to a DPIIT public notice.

It has come to the attention of the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM) that various individuals, agencies, corporate bodies, online legal tech platforms, and unauthorised service providers are unlawfully utilising the official logo, emblem, and design of the Indian Patent Office (IPO) on their websites, social media accounts, marketing collateral, stationery, and paid digital advertisements.

The logo, it said, is an official government identifier representing the statutory authority under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The unauthorised publication, reproduction, or display of this logo creates a false and misleading impression of official government endorsement, affiliation, or recognition, thereby defrauding stakeholders, applicants, and the general public.

All concerned stakeholders and the public are notified that "no person, business entity, digital platform, trademark/patent agent, or legal practitioner is permitted to display, replicate, adapt, or use the official IPO logo, trade dress, or DPIIT insignia in any medium (print, digital, social media, or sponsored search advertisements) without prior formal, written approval from the competent authority in the CGPDTM or DPIIT," it added.

It has asked all entities and individuals currently displaying the IPO logo or deceptively similar designs on their websites, promotional banners, visiting cards, portals, or application interfaces to remove such materials.

Continued unauthorised use, misrepresentation, or imitation of the official IPO logo constitutes an offence under the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950, the Trade Marks Act, 1999, the Copyright Act, 1957, and the Information Technology Act, 2000.

"Such non-compliance will attract immediate civil and criminal prosecution, administrative sanctions, and reporting to law enforcement authorities without further notice," it said.

It also cautioned the general public, startups, and MSMEs to verify the credentials of entities offering IP registration services and to rely solely on the official portal (www.ipindia.gov.in) for all statutory filings, updates, and communications.

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