Cyprus successfully restrained an Indian entity from getting Halloumi registered as a trademark in India. The office of the Trade Marks Registry on 20 November 2023 passed the order treating company’s application as abandoned.
About Halloumi
- Halloumi is the globally renowned, distinctive variety of cheese produced in Cyprus.
- The government of Cyprus objected to Ahmedabad-based firm’s to register a figurative trademark containing the expression ‘Halloumi’.
- Halloumi is a trademark owned by the government of Cyprus and pertains to Cypriot cheese with some unique characteristic.
- Though Halloumi is not a registered trademark in India, the Cyprus government in its opposition relied on its well-known nature and distinctiveness of the trademark as well as the inextricable association of the mark with Cyprus.
Trademark
- A trademark is a sign capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one enterprise from those of other enterprises.
- Trademarks are protected by intellectual property rights. At the national/regional level, trademark protection can be obtained through registration, by filing an application for registration with the national/regional trademark office and paying the required fees.
- At the international level, either one can file a trademark application with the trademark office of each country where the protection has been sought , or using WIPO’s Madrid System.
- Trademark rights are private rights and protection is enforced through court orders.
