An Israeli company protects its trademark in India either by designating India in an international application under the Madrid Protocol, filed through the Israel Patent Office, or by filing a national application with the Indian Trade Marks Registry. Both countries are Madrid members and Paris Convention members, so a six-month priority claim from an Israeli filing is possible. Hebrew-script marks need a transliteration and translation. Registration usually takes a year or more if unopposed.
- Document route
- Israeli notary, then apostille
- Time difference
- IST is 2.5 to 3.5 hours ahead
- Law
- Trade Marks Act 1999 and Rules 2017
- Priority window
- 6 months from first filing abroad
Trademark Protection in India from Israel: how it works
We search the Indian register for identical and similar marks in the relevant classes and advise on the best route. A Madrid designation is efficient for companies already filing internationally; a national filing gives more control over specifications and responses. For a national application, we file on Form TM-A with a power of attorney signed by the Israeli company. The Registry examines the application and may raise objections, which we answer in writing or at a hearing.
If accepted, the mark is advertised in the Trade Marks Journal for a four-month opposition period. If unopposed, it proceeds to registration. Opposition proceedings take longer. A registered Indian mark lasts ten years from the filing date and can be renewed indefinitely. Watch for prior users in India, who can challenge a later registration, and for distributors registering your brand in their own name; contracts should require them to assign any such filings to you.
What clients in Israel should know
- Israeli companies should file in India for both the English and the Hebrew forms of their mark if both are used, and consider transliterations into Indian scripts.
- Domain names and online marketplace listings using your brand can be challenged in India once the mark is registered or has a reputation.
- Use of the mark in India by a licensee is relevant for non-use challenges; keep licence agreements and evidence of use.
Step by step from Israel
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits Israel, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in Israel
Israeli notary, then apostille
Work in India
Our team files, appears and follows up in India, and shares scans of everything filed.
Result and handover
Certified copies and originals are couriered to you in Israel where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in Israel. For the law, the documents and the step-by-step procedure, read our main page on Trademark Protection in India, or see all services for clients in Israel and the Doing Business in India practice area.
Questions from clients in Israel
Is a Madrid designation as strong as a national filing?
Once protected, a Madrid designation gives the same rights in India. Objections are answered before the Indian Registry in both cases.
Can we claim priority from our Israeli application?
Yes, within six months of the Israeli filing date under the Paris Convention.
How long does registration take?
Usually a year or more if there are no objections or oppositions, longer if the application is contested.