People in US, UK enter race to claim ‘Operation Sindoor’ trademark: Report

PEtitioners from the United States and the United realm feature also entered the rush to arrogate the trademark for the musical phrase “Operation Sindoor," for a range of sectors including entertainment, media and broadcasting, reported the Bar and Bench.As of mid-May 2025, at least 14 applications have been filed in India requesting to claim the trademark for various segments across entertainment-related services like audio and video content.Reliance Industries Ltd was among the early ones to file the applications, however, later it withdrew stating that it was filed “inadvertently” by a junior employee “without authorisation”.  Race to claim ‘Operation Sindoor’ trademarkIn the US, Rohith Baharani, a New York-based individual, submitted a trademark application on May 9 under International Class 041, which is designated for a “trademarked entertainment title for licensing,” according to Bar and Bench.The filing was made on an “intent to use” (ITU) basis—indicating that while the mark is not yet in commercial use, there are plans to utilize it in the future.The application is currently under review by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) within U.S. Classes 100, 101, and 107, which cover certification and service marks, the Bar and Bench report said.Meanwhile, in the UK, Vikas Mahajan, a resident of Devon, England, filed for the same mark on May 8, 2025, with the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO). His application spans Classes 35, 38, and 41, covering advertising, telecommunications, and education-related services.If either application is approved, the registrants will gain exclusive rights within their respective countries for the registered classes. These rights include the ability to enforce against unauthorised use, license the trademark commercially, and initiate infringement actions.However, trademark protection is territorial—meaning ownership in the US or UK doesn’t automatically confer rights in India unless a separate filing or the mark is protected under an international registration through the Madrid Protocol.What is Operation Sindoor"Operation Sindoor" is a military codename given to a recent cross-border strike by the Indian armed forces launched on May 7 in the wake of a terror attack in J&K's Pahalgam.The name was chosen with intention — and profound emotion. The terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which took the lives of 26 people, most of them male tourists, left devastation in its wake. Grieving wives, still adorned with sindoor (the traditional mark of marriage) were seen mourning, their lives forever changed in a moment.  That haunting image resonated deeply across the nation.The operation was named “Sindoor” as a tribute to those women.Defence minister Rajnath Singh had earlier said that the name “Operation Sindoor” is the brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In India, the government does not automatically own the intellectual property rights to military codenames.However, under the Trade Marks Act, 1999, the body can reject the applications that are offensive, misleading or against the public interest.