India Joins Three Key WIPO International Classification Treaties

India has joined three WIPO treaties designed to ease the search for trademarks and industrial designs, helping brand owners and designers in their efforts to obtain protection for their own work. The accessions underline India’s strong multilateral engagement with the World Intellectual Property Organization, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry said.

Mr. Gurry received on June 7, 2019, India’s instruments of accession to the Nice Agreement, Vienna Agreement and the Locarno Agreement from Ambassador Rajiv K. Chander, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva. The treaties will enter into force for India on September 7, 2019.

We're absolutely delighted that India today has deposited its instruments of accession to three classification treaties. India has been extremely active in the field of intellectual property and in international cooperation in the field of intellectual property in recent years. This deep engagement on the part of India in the World Intellectual Property Organization and in the international intellectual property system is extremely welcome.

WIPO Director General Francis Gurry

This is a big event in India's intellectual property rights space. In recent years we’ve had a substantial jump in the Global Innovation Index ranking of India. And I'm sure these treaties would also be a major step in that direction of improving India's competitiveness. This also shows that our relations with WIPO are getting stronger and increasing and we are confident that this trend will continue in the coming years.

Ambassador Rajiv K. Chander

Vienna Agreement Establishing an International Classification of the Figurative Elements of Marks

The Vienna Agreement establishes a classification (the Vienna Classification) for marks that consist of, or contain, figurative elements. National intellectual property offices indicate in official documents and publications relating to registrations and renewals of marks the numbers of the categories, divisions and sections of the Classification to which the figurative elements of those marks belong.

The Classification facilitates trademark anticipation searches and avoids substantial reclassification work when documents are exchanged at the international level. In addition, countries party to the Vienna Agreement do not need to draw up their own national classification or keep an existing one up to date.

India becomes the 34th member of the Vienna Agreement.

Nice Agreement Concerning the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks

The Nice Agreement is an important administrative tool that establishes a classification of goods and services for registering trademarks and service marks (the Nice Classification).

The trademark offices of member states must indicate, in official documents and publications in connection with each registration, the numbers of the classes of the Classification to which the goods or services for which the mark is registered belong.

India becomes the 88th member of the Nice Agreement.

Locarno Agreement Establishing an International Classification for Industrial Designs

The Locarno Agreement establishes a classification for industrial designs (the Locarno Classification). Intellectual property offices indicate in official documents reflecting the deposit or registration of industrial designs the numbers of the classes and subclasses of the Classification to which the goods incorporating the designs belong. This must also be done in any publication the offices issue in respect of the deposit or registration of industrial designs.

The Locarno Classification comprises:

• a list of classes and subclasses;
• an alphabetical list of goods which constitute industrial designs, with an indication of the classes and subclasses into which they fall; and
• explanatory notes.

India becomes the 57th member of the Locarno Agreement.