Trademark, patent and copyright guides

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Written by the GB Legal Associates team and reviewed by a registered agent. Each guide answers one question, cites the official source and says when it was last checked.

Latest guide · International

Trademark Registration in Africa: OAPI, ARIPO or Country by Country?

There is no single trademark for Africa. Indian brand owners combine four tools: OAPI, one title for 17 mainly francophone states; ARIPO, one application designating Banjul Protocol states in southern and eastern Africa; the Madrid Protocol, which reaches OAPI and many individual African members; and national filings for markets such as South Africa and Nigeria that are in neither system.

Updated 13 Nov 2026 · 6 min read · Reviewed by a registered agent

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Trademark
13 Nov 2026 · 6 min read
Which Trademark Registry Handles Your Application? A City-by-City Guide
The five Registry offices, the rule that decides yours, and a state-by-state and city-by-city table.
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Trademark
17 Oct 2026 · 6 min read
Accepted and Advertised: What Happens Next for Your Trademark
What Accepted and Advertised means, how the four-month opposition window works, and how long it takes to reach Registered.
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Trademark
17 Oct 2026 · 6 min read
Formalities Chk Pass: What This Trademark Status Means
What the Formalities Chk Pass status means, what comes next, why files sit there, and how it differs from Formalities Chk Fail.
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Trademark
17 Oct 2026 · 6 min read
Marked for Exam: What It Means for Your Trademark
What Marked for Exam means, what the examiner checks, the possible outcomes, and what to prepare while you wait.
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Trademark
17 Oct 2026 · 6 min read
TM vs R (™ vs ®): What Each Symbol Means and When You Can Use It
TM vs R: what ™ and ® mean in India, when each may be used, and the section 107 penalty for claiming a registration you do not hold.
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Trademark
17 Oct 2026 · 8 min read
Trademark Status Meanings: Every IP India Status Explained
Every status on the IP India e-register in the order an application meets it, what it means, and which ones start a deadline.
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Copyright
15 Oct 2026 · 6 min read
Copyright vs Trademark: How to Protect Your Logo in India
Two rights in one logo: what copyright and trademark each protect, who owns a designer’s work, and what to file first.
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International
15 Oct 2026 · 6 min read
EU and UK Trademarks After Brexit: Do You Need Both?
Why the EU mark stopped at the Channel, what became of older marks, and how to file in both markets now.
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Patent
15 Oct 2026 · 7 min read
Foreign Filing Licence: What Indian Inventors Must Know Before Filing Abroad
Section 39 in plain terms: the six-week rule, Form 25 permission, the common traps and the penalties for breach.
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