Osmania University Arts College building to be registered as trademark

Hyderabad(The Uttam Hindu): The iconic Arts College building of Osmania University will become the third trademarked building in India after the Taj Mahal Hotel and the Bombay Stock Exchange.

The application for a trademark for the exterior design of the Arts College was filed in April 2024 and it has been accepted for publication in the TM Journal. The process of registration is expected to be completed in the next 4-5 months.

Subhajit Saha, TM agent and founder of Resolute4IP, filed the application for the Osmania University with the help and support of Prof G.B. Reddy, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) OU, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

The Arts College building has been an intrinsic part of Osmania University and Hyderabad’s aesthetic appeal since 1939.

The building in pinkish granite stone is a blend of the pillar and lintel style of Ajanta and Ellora, with arches signifying the Indo-Saracenic tradition.

Nizam VII Mir Osman Ali Khan had inaugurated the Arts College building on December 4, 1939.

A blend of Qutub Shahi and Mughal architecture, the granite structure was designed by Belgian architect Monsieur Jasper. With 164 vast rooms and a plinth of 2.5 lakh square feet, the Arts College is one of the last major structures built by the Nizam.

This will be the third trademarked building in India after the famous Taj Mahal Hotel and Bombay Stock Exchange.

Saha hoped that OU Arts College would become a brand now. He further stated that more and more Iconic buildings with such beautiful architecture and legacy will follow the trend of registering their building images. Buildings like the T-HUB, T Works, and even the Telangana Secretariat can be a fit case to register as a trademark.

Dr GB Reddy, himself an IPR expert and IPR chair, took this lead and initiative and mentioned that the TM for the Arts College building of Osmania University will resonate a long way with its alumni and stakeholders across the globe.

The concept of trademarking buildings started in the US. Owners of such a trademark have the exclusive right to use the trademark of the building to market their goods and services in any form like merchandise, cups, mugs, and gift articles.

Some examples of TM filed and registered in the US 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 which are also trademarked buildings.