Hyderabad, Apr 23 (Reporter): History has been written today as the DPIIT IPR Chair of Osmania University (OU) has filed for the Trademark of the exterior design of the OU Arts College - a building that has been an intrinsic part of Osmania University’s and Hyderabad aesthetic appeal since 1939. The concept of trademarking buildings started in the United States. Owners of such a trademark have the exclusive right to use the Trademark of the building to market their goods and services. Some examples of TM filed and registered in the United States include the Empire State Building in New York, the art deco spire of the Chrysler Building, and the façade of the New York Stock Exchange. However, this trend has now spread and caught up with The Eiffel Tower in France and the Sydney Opera House are also trademarked buildings. Subhajit Saha, TM agent and IP practitioner for the applicant mentioned that this will be the third TM filed for building in India. Before this, in 2017 the TAJ Mahal Hotel and later the Bombay Stock Exchange were registered TMs in India. He is confident that the trend will soon catch up and awareness needs to be brought in to register more such iconic buildings. Several Iconic buildings like the T-HUB, T Works, and other architecture unique and distinct structures can be trademarked. According to G B Reddy, IPR Chair-Professor Osmania University, the reason to file for TM for buildings is that the design and architecture of the building are unique, and this serves, among other things, including cultural representation, and hence, it must be registered. Further, he also added that the TM will help protect the building from ‘copycat architecture’- the practice of replicating architecture exactly or almost exactly. Once the TM is registered then the building image for marketing of services and branding for commercial usage by third parties will not be permitted without prior permission from the OU University...////...