Over the last few years, the Indian Trade Marks Registry (“Registry”) has taken the initiative to modernize its working by introducing initiatives such as e-filing, digitization of files, etc. Yet another initiative in the direction of modernizing is email communication.
In May 2019 the Registry issued a public notice requesting all applicants, registrants and/ or authorized agents/attorneys who have filed applications, or own registrations, to submit their email addresses to the Registry with the objective of updating all files with these addresses to facilitate communication through these addresses. Applicants and registrants were given up until June 10, 2019 to submit the email addresses.
This is a welcome initiative by the Registry and will, hopefully, address, in large, part communication glitches that have often faced by applicants and registrants. In the past few years, there have been instances of removal of registrations because a registrant did not timely receive the O-3 notice, or an application being abandoned owing to failure to receive an Examination Report. With email addresses being on record, there is little or no chance of mishaps occurring and applicants/registrants forfeiting their rights owing to communication failure.
The Registry must be commended for this great initiative and continuing to take steps to modernize its working.