Thursday, May 15, 2025

Raj Vardhan Patodia (HUF) Vs. Registrar of Trade Marks

Raj Vardhan Patodia (HUF) Vs. Registrar of Trade Marks & Anr.:21st April 2025:Case Number: C.A.(COMM.IPD-TM) 13/2024 :2025:DHC:3153:High Court of Delhi:Hon'ble Mr. Justice Amit Bansal

Facts:
Respondent No. 2 filed a trademark application on 6th December 2016, which was opposed by the appellant on 20th February 2020. A counter-statement was served to the appellant on 13th February 2023. The appellant claims to have sent the Evidence in Support of Opposition (EISO) on 30th March 2023 within the statutory time, albeit in photocopy form. The Trade Marks Registry, however, returned the documents requesting the original. The appellant subsequently filed the original EISO on 28th June 2023, which was uploaded to the Registry’s portal on 3rd July 2023. Despite this, the Registrar deemed the opposition abandoned for not filing the EISO in original within time.

Procedural History:Opposition filed: 20 February 2020,Counter-statement served: 13 February 2023,Photocopy EISO sent: 30 March 2023,Original EISO filed: 28 June 2023,Registrar’s order (impugned): 3 November 2023, treating the opposition as abandoned under Rule 45(2) of the Trade Marks Rules, 2017,Appeal filed under Section 91 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999

Issues:
Whether the Registrar of Trade Marks erred in treating the opposition as abandoned under Rule 45(2) due to non-filing of original EISO within the prescribed timeline? 

Decision:
The Delhi High Court held that:The appellant had demonstrated intent to contest by timely sending a photocopy of the EISO.Upon notification of the error, the original EISO was promptly submitted and accepted on the e-portal.The Registrar's insistence on original copies without prior intimation or flexibility contradicted the intent and procedural fairness.The impugned abandonment order was arbitrary.

Final Order:
The Court set aside the impugned order and directed the Registrar to take the EISO on record and proceed with the opposition proceedings. The registration granted to Respondent No. 2 was also cancelled.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Featured Post

WHETHER THE REGISTRAR OF TRADEMARK IS REQUIRED TO BE SUMMONED IN A CIVIL SUIT TRIAL PROCEEDING

WHETHER THE REGISTRAR OF TRADEMARK IS REQUIRED TO BE SUMMONED IN A CIVIL SUIT TRIAL PROCEEDING IN ORDER TO PROVE THE TRADEMARK  REGISTRA...

My Blog List

IPR UPDATE BY ADVOCATE AJAY AMITABH SUMAN

IPR UPDATE BY ADVOCATE AJAY AMITABH SUMAN

Search This Blog