Key agreements to help Indian designs, figurative elements, goods in global systems

The Cabinet on Wednesday approved three international agreements to help Indian designs, figurative elements and goods in global classification systems. The Nice agreement is for international classification of goods and services for registration of trademarks. The Vienna agreement is for setting up an international classification of figurative elements of marks while the Locarno agreement is for establishing an international classification of industrial designs.

"Accession to Nice, Vienna and Locarno agreements will help the Intellectual Property Office in India to harmonise classification systems for examinational of trademark and design applications in line with classification systems followed globally," said an official statement issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The accession will instil confidence among foreign investors in relation to the protection of intellectual properties in the country, it said adding the move will also facilitate in exercising rights in decision-making processes regarding review and revision of the classifications.

(With inputs from agencies.)