Trade Marks Act, 1999
31. Registration to be prima facie evidence of
validity.-
(I) In all legal proceedings relating to a
trade mark registered under this Act (including applications under section 57),
the original registration of the trade mark and of all subsequent assignments
and transmissions of the trade mark shall be prima facie evidence of the
validity thereof.
(2) In all legal proceeding as aforesaid a
registered trade mark shall not be held to be invalid on the ground that it was
not a registrable trade mark under section 9 except upon evidence of
distinctiveness and that such evidence was not submitted to the Registrar
before registration, if it is proved that the trade mark had been so used by
the registered proprietor or his predecessor in title as to have become
distinctive at the date of registration.