Trade Marks Act, 1999
115. Cognizance of certain offences and the
powers of police officer for search and seizure.-
(1) No court shall take cognizance of an
offence under section 107 or section 108 of section 109 except on complaint in
writing made by the Registrar or any officer authorized by him in writing.
Provided that in relation to clause (c) of
sub-section (1) of section 107, a court shall take cognizance of an offence on
the basis of a certificate issued by the Registrar to the effect that a
registered trade mark has been represented as registered in respect of any
goods or services in respect of which it is not in fact registered.
(2) No court inferior to that of a
Metropolitan Magistrate or Judicial Magistrate of the first class shall try an
offence under this Act.
(3) The offences under section 103 or section
104 or section 105 shall be cognizable.
(4) Any police officer not below the rank of
deputy superintendent of police or equivalent, may, if he is satisfied that any
of the offences referred to in sub-section (3) has been, is being, or is likely
to be , committed, search and seize without warrant the goods, die, block, machine,
plate , other instruments or things involved in committing the offence,
wherever found, and all the articles so seized shall, as soon as practicable,
be produced before a Judicial Magistrate of the first class or Metropolitan
Magistrate, as the may be.
Provided that the police officer, before making
any search and seizure, shall obtain the opinion of the Registrar on facts
involved in the offence relating to trade mark and shall abide by the opinion
so obtained.
(5) Any person having an interest in any
article seized under sub-section (4), may within fifteen days of such seizure,
make an application to the Judicial Magistrate of the First Class or
Metropolitan Magistrate, as the case may be, for such article being restored to
him and the Magistrate, after hearing the applicant and the prosecution, shall
make such order on the application as be may deem fit.