Rajasthan High Court Condemns Trademark Registry Over 15-Year Delay, Orders Time-Bound Disposal

The Rajasthan High Court has directed the Registrar of Trademarks to decide all pending applications expeditiously, criticising a 15-year delay in adjudicating a 2010 application for the mark Breastone.

Justice Anoop Kumar Dhand termed the pendency “a clear violation” of Rule 50 of the Trade Mark Rules 2017, stressing that prolonged delays undermine justice, increase costs, cause loss of evidence, and harm businesses.

The Court held that trademark applications cannot remain pending indefinitely, ordering the present case to be decided within three months.

The Court further directed the Registrar to devise a strategy to clear backlogs and ensure the timely protection of intellectual property rights.