Vidya Bala

What Documents Are Required for Trademark Registration?

  1. Why Is Trademark Registration Important?
  2. Basic Documents Required for Trademark Registration in India
    1. 1. Trademark/Logo/Brand Name
    2. 2. Applicant’s Identity Proof
    3. 3. Address Proof
    4. 4. Power of Attorney (Form TM-48)
  3. Additional Documents Based on Applicant Type
    1. ✅ For Individual or Sole Proprietor:
    2. ✅ For Partnership Firm or LLP:
    3. ✅ For Private Limited Company:
    4. ✅ For Trust or Society:
  4. MSME Certificate (Optional but Recommended)
  5. Details Required for Filing a Trademark
  6. How to Submit the Documents?

A trademark is a unique sign, logo, word, phrase, design, or combination of these that distinguishes your goods or services from others in the market. Registering a trademark in India gives you exclusive legal rights to use that mark and protects your brand identity from misuse or imitation.

If you are a business owner, startup founder, or even a freelancer offering services, trademark registration is one of the smartest legal steps you can take. But many applicants often get confused about the documents required for trademark registration.

In this blog, we will guide you through the complete list of documents needed, based on the type of applicant, and provide additional tips to make your registration process smooth and hassle-free.

Why Is Trademark Registration Important?

Before diving into the documentation part, it’s worth understanding why a trademark is valuable:

  • It protects your brand from being copied or misused.
  • It gives legal ownership of your brand name/logo.
  • It builds trust and goodwill among customers.
  • It allows you to take legal action in case of infringement.
  • You can license or sell your trademark in the future.

Now let’s move on to the main part — what documents are required to register your trademark.

Basic Documents Required for Trademark Registration in India

No matter who is applying — an individual, company, partnership firm, or LLP — certain documents are common for all trademark applications:

1. Trademark/Logo/Brand Name

  • A clear image or representation of the word mark (name) or logo (symbol/graphic).
  • The logo should be submitted in black and white format to ensure better protection.

2. Applicant’s Identity Proof

Depending on whether the applicant is an individual or a business entity, the required identity proof includes:

  • For individuals or sole proprietors:
     PAN Card, Aadhaar Card, Passport, or Voter ID.
  • For companies/LLPs/firms:
     Certificate of Incorporation, Partnership Deed, or LLP Agreement.

3. Address Proof

  • Utility bills, Aadhaar card, or any valid government-issued document that shows the applicant’s address.

4. Power of Attorney (Form TM-48)

  • This is a mandatory document that authorizes a trademark attorney or agent to file and process your trademark application on your behalf.
  • Must be signed by the applicant.
  • Can be submitted in scanned form initially, but the original may be required later.

Additional Documents Based on Applicant Type

The list slightly varies depending on whether the applicant is an individual, firm, company, trust, or society.

✅ For Individual or Sole Proprietor:

  • Identity proof (PAN, Aadhaar)
  • Address proof
  • Signed Form TM-48
  • Brand/logo image

✅ For Partnership Firm or LLP:

  • Partnership Deed or LLP agreement
  • Identity proof of all partners
  • Address proof of the firm
  • Udyam MSME certificate (optional but helpful for fee rebate)
  • Form TM-48 with firm stamp

✅ For Private Limited Company:

  • Certificate of Incorporation
  • Board Resolution (if required)
  • Director’s identity and address proof
  • Signed TM-48 with company seal
  • Udyam MSME certificate (optional)

✅ For Trust or Society:

  • Registration certificate
  • PAN and address proof of trust/society
  • Identity proof of trustee/authorized person
  • TM-48 signed with trust stamp/seal

If you are a small or medium business (MSME) or a startup, you are eligible for a 50% government rebate on the trademark application fee. For this, you need to submit:

  • Udyam Registration Certificate or Startup India Registration Certificate

Even though this is not a compulsory document, submitting it can help reduce costs significantly.

Details Required for Filing a Trademark

Along with the documents, the following information is needed to complete your application:

  • Trademark class (based on the type of goods/services)
  • Description of the product/service
  • Date of first use of the trademark (if applicable)
  • Email ID and phone number of the applicant
  • Nature of business (individual, firm, etc.)

If you’re unsure about the trademark class, professional assistance is recommended to avoid rejection due to incorrect classification.

How to Submit the Documents?

Most trademark filings are now done online via the IP India portal. Documents should be submitted in PDF format and must be clearly legible. If you’re filing through a professional service like edrafter.in, you simply need to scan and email the required documents. The professionals will take care of the formatting and application filing.

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