Under the trademark Act of 1999, The Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai has acquired an “Image Trademark” for its architectural design and became the first Indian building to be trademark. It will ensure that commercial use of the image of its dome and grand exterior can be made only with the consent of Taj Hotels Palaces Resorts Safaris. We are very proud to recognise its important role as a symbol of Mumbai’s people and its past through the trademark,” Taljinder Singh, Area Director – Mumbai and General Manager, The Taj Mahal Palace, said.

History

• Lord Mountbatten announced India’s independence from the steps of The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai.
• The hotel was home to leaders of the Indian Freedom movement such as Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Sarojini Naidu and many others.
• One of first major speeches representing Independent India was given at the hotel in 1947.
• The only hotel in India to have electricity at the time of its inauguration, The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai has been home to eminent personalities including Neil Armstrong, Beatle’s John Lenon, sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, and US President Barack Obama, to name a few.
• The property was converted into a hospital during First World War and it is also a symbol of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.
• The property constructed by the firm Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. is a red-tiled building telling the tales of such historic tales is unique in itself.

SALIENT FEATURES

• The hotel which was opened on December 16, 1903, has a distinctive red-tiled Florentine Gothic dome and sits 240 feet above the street level.
• The dome for a long time has been used by the Indian Navy as a `triangulation point’ which guides its vessels to the harbour.
• The architects of the dome have modelled it on the dome of the Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus).

“We felt strongly about protecting and bringing forth the distinctiveness of this most recognized building in India”. It’s an icon that stands as the indomitable spirit of not just Mumbai, but India

Title significance

 With the acquired title, Taj Mahal Palace has joined elite buildings of the building like Empire State Building in New York, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Sydney Opera House.
 Now nobody can now use the image of Taj Mahal Palace for commercial use. So, selling any object with the image is illegal.
 Any sort of commercial use will include the payment of a licensing fee to the company.
 The Taj Mahal which was built in 1903 even before the Gateway of India,acted as a triangulation points for the Indian Navy to show way towards the harvour. So the distinct structural magnificence should be preserved.

An exception

Usually, logos, brand names, combination of colours, numerals and even sounds are trademarked but the registration of an architectural design has never been attempted since the Trademark Act came into force in 1999.

Conclusion

We are very proud to recognize its important role as a symbol of Mumbai’s people and its past through the trademark, making it is the first building in the country to acquire intellectual property rights protection for its architectural design. This makes the 114-yearpld building , the first in the country to get such a registration.