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The iconic Osmania University Arts College building in Hyderabad is set to become a trademarked structure. Owners of such a trademark, in this case the Osmania University (OU), will have the exclusive right to use the trademark of the building to market their goods and services.
“We have stepped ahead to trademark the building as we noticed a lot of private institutions using the iconic facade for marketing their services. They are unrelated to the university establishment. Trademarking will give us ownership so that others cannot use it to make logos, souvenirs, merchandise, without our permission/payment of royalty,” said G.B. Reddy IPR chair OU, DPIIT, about the development.
The 1969 stamp issued by the Postal Department to mark the 50th year of foundation of the Osmania University. | Photo Credit: By Arrangement
“The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade-Intellectual Property Rights Chair of the Osmania University has filed for the trademark of exterior design of the OU Arts College under the Indian Trademarks Act of 1999 on Monday,” informed Subhajit Saha, Trade Mark (TM) agent and Intellectual Property (IP) practitioner who is guiding the university’s application.
Some of the other trademarked buildings around the world include the Empire State Building and Chrysler Building in New York, and the Taj Mahal Hotel and Bombay Stock Exchange in India. Similar trademark cover is there for the Eiffel Tower in France and the Sydney Opera House.
Once the trademark is registered, then the building image for marketing of services and branding for commercial usage like T-shirts, lockets, and souvenirs by a third party will not be permitted without prior permission from the OU.
File photo of Osmania University Arts College building. (circa August 03, 1984). | Photo Credit: The Hindu archives
The Osmania Arts College building’s design is credited to Belgian architect Ernest Jasper who travelled through the Nizam’s dominion and used influences from the region to design the structure and blended it with Mamluk architectural elements like the recessed semi-dome at the entrance and ornate carvings in 1939.
