'Operation Sindoor' trademark applications filed in US, UK, India

Business Standard

19-05-2025

Trademark applications for the phrase 'Operation Sindoor'—India's coordinated missile strikes on terrorist infrastructure—have been filed in the United States, the United Kingdom, and India, Bar and Bench reported.
These applications cover services such as media, broadcasting, and entertainment. In India alone, 14 applications have been filed for the phrase under different classes.
This follows recent reports that Reliance Industries, along with three other applicants, filed a trademark application under Class 41 of the Nice Classification, which includes media, cultural, educational, and entertainment services. However, the company later issued a clarification, stating it has no intention of trademarking the term.
Operation Sindoor, conducted on May 7, refers to the coordinated missile strikes carried out by the Indian armed forces on terrorist infrastructure at nine locations across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The strikes were in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
Following the attack, the term garnered attention not just in India but also internationally. In the United States, a trademark application was filed on May 9, two days after the strikes, by Rohith Baharani, a New York-based individual. The mark has been filed as a service mark under International Class 041, which covers 'providing a trademarked entertainment title for licensing or sale to production companies, streaming services, or distributors'.
The application was filed on an 'intent to use' (ITU) basis, implying that the applicant has not yet used the mark in commerce but intends to do so. It is currently awaiting examination by the United States Patent and Trademark Office under US Classes 100, 101, and 107, which relate to certification and service marks, the report added.
Another application was filed in the United Kingdom on May 8 by Vikas Mahajan, a resident of Devon, England. The application was received by the UK Intellectual Property Office and spans Classes 35, 38, and 41, which include advertising, telecommunications, and education-related services.
The report further stated that, as of mid-May, 13 different entities and individuals had applied to trademark the phrase.
It is worth noting that in India, the names of military operations are not protected by the government as intellectual property. Such names are not automatically secured under any special statutory IP framework. Unless the government intervenes, the names of such operations remain open to trademark claims by private individuals and entities.