India registry accords intellectual property protection to sound marks for the first time
The Indian Trademark Registry recently registered Yahoo’s ‘yodel’ sound as a trademark, the first time statutory protection had been accorded to a sound mark in India. The development in this area is being welcomed by brand owners. Sounds, music, jingles and melodies have for a long time proven to be an effective marketing tool: it is well accepted that sounds often have a greater impact than purely visual advertising because they are easier to remember. The importance of sound marks to brand owners is, therefore, unquestionable.
