New Delhi: Recently, in these three countries Bhutan, UAE, and Mexico, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) have secured their trademark. In Bhutan, KVIC was registered on 9th July and trademark registration was granted in UAE on 28th June. With this, KVIC has succeeded in securing trademark registration for the first time in a Gulf country. Earlier, KVIC got the trademark registration for “Khadi” in Mexico in December 2020.

Apart from these countries, KVIC’s trademark applications are pending in 40 countries across the world that include the USA, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Japan, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brazil, and others.

Until now  KVIC Trademark was registered in 6 countries namely Germany, UK, Australia, Russia, China, and the EU where trademark registrations were granted in certain classes. However, with recent trademark registrations in Bhutan, UAE, and Mexico, the number of such countries has gone up to nine. In these countries, KVIC has got registrations in various classes that pertain to Khadi fabric, Khadi readymade garments, and village industry products like Khadi soaps, Khadi cosmetics, Khadi incense sticks among others.

For the first time in the last five years, KVIC has sustained its efforts to protect the brand ‘Khadi’ driven by Gandhiji.

KVIC Chairman Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said these trademark registrations will prevent any misuse of the brand name “Khadi” globally, will protect them, and safeguard the identity of Khadi and its consumers, artisans manufacturing khadi products.

The development assumes great significance as there have been instances of some private local entities in countries like Mexico and Germany seeking trademark registration for the brand name “Khadi” in their respective countries. In Mexico, KVIC challenged the trademark application of “One Foundation Oaxaca Ac” which had applied for the “Khadi” logo. However, the firm did not challenge KVIC’s objections and trademark registration for the word Khadi and its logo was granted in favor of KVIC.

Similarly, in Germany, KVIC challenged a local company - Best Natural Products GmbH ("BNP"), which in 2011 already got prior rights in the mark “KHADI” and related marks in the EU and other countries in different classes. After a long legal battle and negotiations through the Diplomatic channel with the help of the Ministry of External Affairs, BNP has expressed its willingness to settle the trademark disputes amicably with KVIC.