Snack Brand ‘CHUTIYARAM’ Officially Trademarked for Namkeen and Biscuits

The Delhi Trademark Office has recently approved the registration application for the brand name ‘CHUTIYARAM’ under Class 30 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999, which covers foodstuffs like namkeen and biscuits.

The trademark, published in the Trademark Journal on Monday, has attracted attention among intellectual property law specialists and provoked discussions of its approval as well as its potential for encountering legal complications.

The examiner noted that the trademark is a combination of two random words, ‘Chuti’ and ‘Ram’, making it unique and different from other trademarks. Since the name has no direct connection to the products namkeen and biscuits – the objection under Section 9(1) was dismissed, and the mark was approved.

However, there are still issues about how the mark passed without objections under Section 9(2)(c) of the Act, which prevents the registration of marks that are offensive, inappropriate, or against public decency.

In an order issued on March 4, Senior Trademark Examiner Blaji said that, “since this was the fourth hearing and no one appeared, it was decided that the mark ‘Chutiyaram’ is a combination of two arbitrary words, ‘chuti’ and ‘ram’. He also noted that the mark, as a whole, is unique and can be easily differentiated from others. Since the mark has no direct connection to the goods it represents, the objection under Section 9 has been waived, and the mark has been accepted.”