Start watching a brand
Free. You get an email straight away with anything similar in the issues we already hold, then one each week something new appears.
Why the journal is the one document worth watching
Every application that clears examination is advertised in the weekly Trade Marks Journal. From that date, anyone has four months to file a notice of opposition under Section 21 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999. The Registrar cannot extend that period. A mark that is not opposed proceeds to registration, and once it is registered, removing it means a rectification petition: slower, costlier and with a higher bar.
The journal is public, but it is five PDFs of 30 to 40 MB a week, with about 6,000 entries, and more than half of the marks appear only inside a logo image. No business owner reads it. Large companies pay a watch service; everyone else finds out when a cease-and-desist letter arrives, or when their own application is objected to because a similar mark got in first.
How Brand Watch works
When you sign up, the same check runs immediately across the issues we already hold, so the first email arrives within a minute and tells you what has been advertised near your name recently.
What an alert looks like
Trade Marks Journal No. 2279 (21 September 2026) was published this week. One entry is similar to Lazo in class 30:
Class 30 · Application 6664153 · Applicant: (name as advertised)
Journal 2279 of 21 September 2026 · opposition window closes 21 January 2027
Anyone may oppose an advertised mark within four months of the journal date. Whether an opposition is worth filing depends on how close the marks are and whether the goods overlap. If you want an attorney's view, reply to this email. That opinion is free.
The email is plain text with no images or tracking pixels. It names the applicant and the goods exactly as advertised, so you can judge the overlap yourself before deciding whether to ask us anything.
Who should watch
- Brands that have not filed yet. See who is applying around your name before you spend on filing. A near-identical mark advertised last month changes the advice.
- Applications that are pending. Two similar applications examined in the same months are often objected against each other. Knowing early gives you the choice to oppose or to adjust.
- Registered owners. Registration gives you the right to stop confusingly similar marks; it does not stop anyone from applying. Policing the journal is how that right is actually used.
- Distributors and franchisees watching a principal's brand in India on their behalf.
If an alert shows a problem
Most alerts need no action: the goods are different, or the similarity is slight. When one does look like a conflict, the options are, in rough order of cost: a letter to the applicant, a notice of opposition on Form TM-O with the ₹2,700 government fee per class, or, if the four months have passed, waiting for registration and filing for rectification. We explain the choice and quote the professional fee before anything is filed; the watch itself stays free either way.
Frequently asked questions
Is Brand Watch really free?
Yes. The scan and the alert emails are free with no time limit. If an alert shows a mark you want to oppose, that is separate work with a fee we quote first; you decide whether to do anything. Many alerts need no action at all.
Do I need a registered trademark to use it?
No. Businesses that have not filed yet use it to see who is filing around their name. Businesses with a pending application use it to catch a conflicting mark before both are examined against each other. Registered owners use it to police the mark.
Does it catch logos, or only words?
Both. Around 58% of journal entries are device marks where the name appears only inside a logo image. We read the text out of those images before matching, so a logo that carries a name like yours is caught too.
What counts as similar?
The same word, your brand inside a longer name, near-spellings and misspellings, and names that sound alike when spoken. You can restrict the watch to your classes or leave it open to all 45.
How quickly will I hear about a conflicting mark?
The journal is published on Monday. We download and read it the same night and email watchers on Tuesday. The opposition window runs four months from the journal date, so you hear within the first week of it.
Is the four-month deadline strict?
Yes. Under Section 21 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999 a notice of opposition must be filed within four months of the advertisement date and the Registrar cannot extend it. After that, the only route is a cancellation action after registration, which is slower and costs more.
Will you email me every week?
Only when something similar appears. If nothing does, you get a short note about once a month so you know the watch is running. Every email has a one-click link to stop the watch.
What do you do with my details?
The brand name, classes and email are used to run the watch and send its results. Your details are not sold or shared. The service is provided by registered Trademark Attorneys as an information service, not as a solicitation.
Information only. This guide explains a legal process in general terms; it is not legal advice and not a solicitation. Wording of statuses is as shown on IP India's public portal at the date above and may change.