Trademark spat: Intel moves court

The world’s leading microchip maker, Intel Corporation, has moved the Bombay High Court challenging a decision by the trademarks registry to renew the company’s trademark — Intel — in favour of a Mumbai-based firm, reports Kanchan Chaudhari.

The world’s leading microchip maker, Intel Corporation, has moved the Bombay High Court challenging a decision by the trademarks registry to renew the company’s trademark — Intel — in favour of a Mumbai-based firm.

HT Image

The registry had rejected Intel’s plea for registering its trademark in India and gave it to Intel Exports Corporation, a city firm owned by Prabhakar Deodhar.

The global giant said in a petition that the trademark had been declared lapsed on August 16, 2003 and was renewed in September 2007, though the registrar general of trademarks has no authority to renew a trademark lapsed before a year.

The petition adds that the renewal certificate submitted by Intel Exports Corporation did not show renewal of the trademark for the seven year period that ended in October 2007.

Pravin Walia, finance controller of Intel Exports Corporation said his firm had owned the trademark since 1976. “As far as India is concerned, we are owners of the trademark, and we have valid certificates to that effect.”

The petition will come up for hearing on April 27.