The Ministry of Tourism has no title for its magazine named after its Incredible India campaign, as Brand India’s flagship logo has already been registered by a private publishing house.
The ministry has filed a complaint against Durga Das Publications with the Registrar of Newspapers for India.
In 2002, the Centre launched the Incredible India campaign and registered the copyright for the logo "Incredible !ndia" — an exclamation mark replaces the letter I in India.
In 2003, tenders were called for publishing a magazine under this name. Durga Das Publications bagged the year-long contract, which was extended till 2007.
"After the contract expired, we issued a fresh tender. Durga Das Publications did not apply and we awarded it to another publisher in August," said a senior tourism ministry official.
The ministry, however, was in for a rude shock. In September, the publishing house officials arrived with a copy of their magazine still called Incredible India, without the exclamation mark replacing the letter I in India.
{{/usCountry}}The ministry, however, was in for a rude shock. In September, the publishing house officials arrived with a copy of their magazine still called Incredible India, without the exclamation mark replacing the letter I in India.
{{/usCountry}}Ministry officials claimed that when a show-cause notice was issued to the publishing house, it contended that it had registered Incredible India as its title much before the 2003 contract.
The ministry then filed a complaint with the registrar and sought permission to call its magazine Incredible India – Travel Update till the matter is resolved.
A senior official with the Registrar of Newspapers for India said: "We have not arrived at any decision."