During the last PWS session, Nadra Jawaid, Trainee Associate hosted a discussion on “Whether Gray Market Goods Undermine Trademark Protections?” The session commenced with a discussion on whether it would be disproportionately advantageous to a manufacturer if the law restricts buyers from dealing with the grey market. The members then went on to discuss what challenges posed by the grey market to the protection of a trademark owner’s reputation and goodwill? The members exchanged ideas on grey market goods influencing competition in the marketplace between authorized sellers and grey market distributors. The session concluded with the discussion of various strategies to combat grey market issues.

A ‘Special Legal Issues Seminar- General IP’ (LIS-GIP) was conducted by Richa Pushpam, Trainee Associate, on “Notarisation, Apostille, Legalisation, and Digital Signatures of Documents for the purposes of filings in India (courts and IP Offices)”. The seminar discussed relevant provisions under the Notaries Act, 1952, the Hague Apostille Convention, 1961 and the Information Technology Act, 2000. The session analysed various judgments discussing the nuances of notarisation, apostille and consular legalisation for authentication of public documents.

The members also exchanged their views on the admissibility of electronically signed and notarised documents during filings in Indian courts and IP offices.

The presentation can be accessed here.

ALG’s administrators had the pleasure of coming together for a delightful lunch gathering. It was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect outside the usual work environment and enjoy a relaxed, refreshing atmosphere.

Our administrators are an integral part of ALG. Their dedication and hard work behind the scenes ensure that we, as lawyers, can perform our roles efficiently. This gathering was a small way to acknowledge their contributions and express our appreciation for their constant support. Several administrators were recognized with awards for their outstanding contributions, while others received well-deserved promotions.

It was a memorable occasion for all, celebrating not only the accomplishments of our administrators but also the sense of teamwork and camaraderie that strengthens our firm.

During the last PWS session, Atul Bhatt, Associate hosted a discussion on “Whether the status of a trademark being well-known should be subject to renewal?” The session commenced with a discussion on whether should the validity of a mark, once declared well-known, be extended till perpetuity, or should there be any specific duration of its validity. The members then went on to discuss whether the current scheme of the Act has any mechanism to keep in check the same. The members exchanged ideas as to what would be the ideal period, if any, after which the well-known status of a mark should be subject to renewal. The session concluded with the perspective that conferring well-known status in perpetuity is an overreaching privilege and there needs to be a new system which allows periodic renewal of well-known marks.

ALG’s Of Counsel, R.A. Tiwari, recently delivered an engaging presentation during a webinar organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on September 18, 2024. The topic, ‘Procedure Followed by the Indian Office Before Granting Protection of International Registration of Marks Under the Madrid System,’ offered valuable insights into the complexities of international trademark protection.