Government recently passed a law amending the Trademark Act 2009. On November 21, 2015 it was published on the gazette.

This is a minor amendment. Highlights of the changes are-

Section 3: Trademark Registry wing of Department of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks is renamed as Trademark Unit.

Sub section 10(5): this sub section prohibits registration of trademark which violates “well-known registered trademark”. New amendment includes “similar or confusingly similar or translation of trade description of a well-known registered trademark”. [Read more…] about Trademark Act 2009 got amended

Government on August 3, 2015 published the Geographical Indicative Products (Registration and Protection) Rules, 2015 through a gazette notification. It was published under the Geographical Indicative Products (Registration and Protection) Act, 2013 which was enacted on December 2013.

The rules provide specific procedures, forms and fees for various activities related to registration of Geographical Indicative Products.

[Read more…] about Geographical Indicative Products (Registration and Protection) Rules, 2015 published

Recently the parliament has passed the Geographical Indicative Products (Registration and Protection) Act, 2013.

Pursuant to the act, a geographical indication unit under the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks will be opened, with the chief of the unit being the registrar.

To register a product, the association or the co-operative for a product will have to apply; apparently no individual can register a product. The validity of a particular registered GI product will remain for five years. The producer would have to apply for re-registering after the validity expires.

According to the law, if persons or associations that are not the real owners of the GI goods and try to get the certificate, they will be punished with a maximum of three years of imprisonment and/or a fine of Tk 2 lacs. The same punishment will be applicable for any misuse of the law.

A committee has been formed to draft GI rules under the act.

Download: ভৌগোলিক নির্দেশক পণ্য (নিবন্ধন ও সুরক্ষা) আইন, ২০১৩

Update 02/08/2014: Government recently published an English translation of the act. You can download the English translation from the following link.

 GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION OF GOODS (REGISTRATION AND PROTECTION) ACT, 2013