Trade Marks Act, 1999
21. Opposition to registration.-
(1) Any person may, within three months from
the date of the advertisement or re-advertisement of an application for
registration or within such further period, not exceeding one month in the
aggregate, as the Registrar, on application made to him in the prescribed
manner and on payment of the prescribed fee, allows, give notice in writing in
the prescribed manner to the Registrar, of opposition to the registration.
(2) The Registration shall serve a copy of the
notice on the applicant for registration and, within two months from the
receipt by the applicant of such copy of the notice of opposition, the
applicant shall send to the Registrar in the prescribed manner a
counter-statement of the grounds on which he relies for his application, and if
he does not do so he shall be deemed to have abandoned his application.
(3) If the applicant sends such
counter-statement, the Registrar shall serve a copy thereof on the person
giving notice of opposition.
(4) Any evidence upon which the opponent and
the applicant may rely shall be submitted in the prescribed manner and within
the prescribed time to the Registrar, and the Registrar shall give an
opportunity to them to be heard, if they do desire.
(5) The Registrar shall, after hearing the
parties, if so required, and considering the evidence, decide whether and
subject to what conditions or limitations, if any, the registration is to be
permitted, and may take into account a ground of objection whether relied upon
by the opponent or not.
(6) Where a person giving notice of opposition
or an applicant sending a counter statement after receipt of a copy of such
notice neither resides nor carries on business in India, the Registrar may
require him to give security for the costs of proceedings before him, and in
default of such security being duly given, may treat the opposition or
application, as the case may be, as abandoned.
(7) The Registrar may, on request, permit
correction of any error in, or any amendment of, a notice of opposition or a
counter-statement or such terms as he thinks just.