In a first, The Indian Hotels Company Limited has been granted protection for the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai by the Registrar of Trademarks as an image mark.
The over-100-year-old hotel, and one of the most recognisable buildings in the country, Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai has become the first privately owned hotel in India to receive trademark protection for its architectural design. The hotel joins a rarified club of iconic buildings around the world that have been accorded trademark protection, including the Empire State Building in New York and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Registration proceedings were completed in seven months.
Special mention must be made of Rajendra Misra, General Counsel, Indian Hotels Company Limited, for his vision to protect the image of this revered property, and safeguard it from misappropriation. Rajendra Misra explained his thinking succinctly, “One look at that property and you know it is the Taj. We don’t even need a signboard over there…that’s exactly what a trademark is.”
The firm has handled several firsts, including protecting the first sound mark and colour marks in India.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkD6NaEJhoo