Settled a Trademark Opposition? The Registry's Friday Disposal Drive Runs to December 2026

Many trademark oppositions in India are settled privately long before the Registry hears them: the parties sign a coexistence agreement, the applicant narrows its goods, or the opponent simply loses interest. The file, however, stays pending for years, and the mark cannot register until the Registry formally disposes of the opposition. On 31 August 2026 the Trade Marks Registry announced a Special Disposal Drive to clear exactly these cases. It runs every working Friday until December 2026, in ten-year blocks by filing year, and November is the turn of applications filed between 2011 and 2020.

What the public notice says

Public Notice TMR/Public Notice/2026/4546, dated 31 August 2026 and signed by the Registrar of Trade Marks, sets up a dedicated drive for "the expeditious disposal of long-pending opposition proceedings where parties desire to withdraw the Application/Opposition, or have reached an amicable settlement". Hearings run on every working Friday from 4 September 2026 until December 2026, in hybrid mode, with two sessions each day: 10:30 am to 1:30 pm and 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm.

Which Friday is yours?

• September 2026: applications filed before 2000.
• October 2026: applications filed between 2001 and 2010.
• November 2026: applications filed between 2011 and 2020, on the working Fridays of 6, 13, 20 and 27 November.
• December 2026: applications filed from 2021 to date, on the working Fridays of the month.

The block depends on the filing year of the underlying trademark application, not the year the opposition was filed. An application filed in 2019 and opposed in 2021 is a November matter.

What you must do, and by when

1. Check the status of the opposition on the Registry's online records and confirm it is still pending.
2. Put the settlement in writing: a settlement deed, a request to withdraw the opposition, or the applicant's request to withdraw or restrict the application.
3. Upload or submit the document through the online portal or by email at least three days before your scheduled Friday. For 6 November, that means by Tuesday 3 November.
4. Appear before the Hearing Officer, physically at the Registry or virtually through the link published on the IP India portal, yourself or through your authorised agent or advocate.

What a settlement document should cover

• The parties, the application number and class of the opposed mark, and the opposition number.
• What each side does: the opponent withdraws, or the applicant withdraws, or the applicant narrows its goods or services or accepts a condition such as a different colour scheme.
• Any undertakings about use outside the register, such as territory, trade channels or packaging.
• Who files what with the Registry and by when, so that both sides know the document will reach the Hearing Officer three days before the Friday.
• Costs: usually each side bears its own, stated expressly.

What happens if nobody appears

The notice is blunt: in case of non-appearance or non-compliance on the scheduled date, "the matter shall be decided ex-parte or dealt with on merits" under the Trade Marks Act, 1999 and the Trade Marks Rules, 2017, on the records available with the office. For an applicant who has settled, that risks an outcome nobody wanted; for an opponent who has quietly dropped the matter, it can mean a decision on a record it no longer supports. If you are listed and the settlement is not yet signed, it is better to attend and tell the officer than to stay away.

Why it is worth the effort

• Once a withdrawn opposition is disposed of, the application can proceed to registration, which is what a brand owner needs for infringement actions, marketplace brand registries and licensing.
• A pending opposition shows up in every clearance search and due diligence; investors and buyers ask about it.
• Settlement terms such as a narrowed list of goods only take effect on the register once the Registry acts on them.
• A settled file closed on your documents is safer than one decided later on an old record.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

Trade Marks Registry, Public Notice TMR/Public Notice/2026/4546, "Special Disposal Drive for Disposal of Pending Trade Mark Opposition Matters (Settlement/Withdrawal)", 31 August 2026 (ipindia.gov.in); Trade Marks Act, 1999 and Trade Marks Rules, 2017.

BookMyTM files and defends trademark oppositions, drafts settlement and coexistence agreements, and represents applicants at Registry hearings for businesses across Kerala and India.