KVIC eyes international Khadi trademark under the Paris Convention

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Jan 22, 2020

After penalising Indian businesses for marketing garments as 'Khadi', the Khadi and Village Industries Commission now plans to trademark the handloom textile worldwide by appealing to the Paris Convention.

 
State-owned KVIC aims to own the global trademark for Khadi textiles, ET Bureau reported. KVIC is pursuing a number of businesses, including in Germany, for allegedly flouting its Khadi regulations by using the term without the KVIC’s permission.
 
“Ever since the pre-independent era, Khadi has been considered as the national symbol for Swadeshi,” KVIC chairman, VK Saxena, said in a statement, ET Bureau reported.

“The word marks ‘Khadi’, ‘Kutir’, ‘Sarvodaya’, and the logo of Khadi India and Charkha are the harbinger of this spirit and hence, must be protected.” 
 
Saxena has requested the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, has the issue taken up with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. The Ministry for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises issued its Khadi regulations in 2013, which give KVIC the authority to grant a 'Khadi Mark' to textiles and to take royalties from manufacturers using the mark. 
 
Multilateral treaty the Paris Convention is administered by United Nations agency, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and protects intellectual property internationally.

The agreement protects state symbols, official signs, and hallmarks, which KVIC argues its Khadi Mark falls under.