The Trade Marks (Amendment) Bill, 2007, introduced in the Lok Sabha on the 23rd August, 2007 and pending therein, has been referred to the Department-related parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce, with Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, Member, Rajya Sabha, as its Chairman, for examination and report.
The Committee has decided to invite memoranda containing views of the individuals/organisations, etc. interested in the subject-matter of the Bill and also to hear oral evidence on the subject.
Those desirous of submitting memoranda to the Committee may send two copies (either in English or Hindi) thereof to Shri Surinder Kumar Watts, Director, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, Room No. 240, Second Floor, Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi (Tel: 23034240, Tele fax: 23013158, E-mail: [email protected]) within fifteen days, indicating whether they would also be interested in giving oral evidence before the Committee.
The memorandum submitted to the Committee would form part of the records of the Committee and would be treated as confidential and would not be circulated to anyone, as any act contrary thereto would constitute a breach of privilege of the Committee.
The Bill was published in the Gazette in India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 2, dated the 23rd August, 2007. Its copies can be had on written request to the above-mentioned Officer or can be downloaded from the official web-site of the Lok Sabha (http://loksabha.nic.in), under the caption “Bills with the Committee”.
The Bill seeks to amend the Trade Marks Act, 1999 (hereinafter referred to as Trade Marks Act) with a view, inter-alia to: -
(i) prescribe a period of 18 months for the registration of trade marks under Section 23 of the Trade Marks Act, in line with the provisions of the Madrid Protocol;
(ii) incorporate a new Chapter IVA in the Trade Marks Act containing enabling provisions for accession to Madrid Protocol, including empowering the Registrar of Trade Marks to deal with international applications originating from India as well as those received from the International Bureau (single application with one fee and in one language) and maintain record of international registrations;
(iii) reduce the time-period of filing a notice of opposition of published applications, from four months to three months, for speedy disposal of proceedings;
(iv) simplify the law relating to transfer of ownership of trade marks by assignment or transmission and to bring the law generally in tune with international practice and modern business needs;
(v) omit chapter X of the Trade Marks Act, dealing with special provisions for textile goods, as it has become redundant.
RS/AS
(Release ID :31837)