The Trade Marks Act, 1999 · XII — OFFENCES, PENALTIES AND PROCEDURE

Section 133. Preliminary advice by the Registrar as to distinctiveness

In force · As amended up to 2026-08

133. Preliminary advice by the Registrar as to distinctiveness. —(1) The Registrar may, on application made to him in the prescribed manner by any person who proposes to apply for the registration of a trade mark, give advice as to whether the trade mark appears to him prima facie to be distinctive. (2) If, on an application for the registration of a trade mark as to which the Registrar has given advice as aforesaid in the affirmative made within three months after the advice was given, the Registrar, after further investigation or consideration, gives notice, to the applicant of objection on the ground that the trade mark is not distinctive, the applicant shall be entitled, on giving notice of withdrawal of the application within the prescribed period, to have repaid to him any fee paid on the filing of the application. 134. Suit for infringement, etc., to be instituted before District Court. —(1) No suit— - (a) for the infringement of a registered trade mark; or - (b) relating to any right in a registered trade mark; or (c) for passing off arising out of the use by the defendant of any trade mark which is identical with or deceptively similar to the plaintiff's trade mark, whether registered or unregistered, shall be instituted in any court inferior to a District Court having jurisdiction to try the suit. (2) For the purpose of clauses (a) and (b) of sub-section (1), a "District Court having jurisdiction" shall, notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908) or any other law for the time being in force, include a District Court within the local limits of whose jurisdiction, at the time of the institution of the suit or other proceeding, the person instituting the suit or proceeding, or, where there are more than one such persons any of them, actually and voluntarily resides or carries on business or personally works for gain. Explanation .—For the purposes of sub-section (2), "person" includes the registered proprietor and the registered user.

Source: India Code