Manual explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Chapter 6 of the Manual walks through an opposition from the notice to the decision. After an application is advertised in the GI Journal, anyone may object, and the proceeding then runs as a series of written steps and a hearing before the Registrar at Chennai.
The Manual (Version 01.11, 26 July 2011) is the GI Registry's guidance and does not have the force of law; the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 and the Rules of 2002 as now in force prevail. The current position should be checked on ipindia.gov.in.
Under section 14, any person may oppose after the application is advertised, by notice on Form GI-2. The applicant answers with a counter-statement, and written evidence is exchanged in set stages, each with its own period. The opponent who does not follow up is treated as having abandoned the opposition. The Registrar hears the parties and decides in writing. A party outside India can be asked to give security for costs. Periods and forms below are those of the Rules as now in force, which prevail.
What this chapter serves
The chapter explains section 14 of the Act, set out in section 14 on opposition to registration, and rules 41 to 51. Time limits are summarised in our guide on time limits at every stage. Where the Manual prints a fee, this guide leaves it out: fees come from the 2025 First Schedule, as explained in our fees post. Disputes of this kind are a matter for legal dispute resolution advice, and applicants whose advertised application is opposed should read this chapter with the rule posts.
Who may oppose, and where (Manual 06.01, 06.01.01)
The Manual says notice of opposition is filed only before the Registrar at Chennai, and that "any person" may oppose. It adds a point of approach: an opposition is to be seen from the point of view of the public rather than as a contest between two parties, so the opponent's own merits or demerits are irrelevant, and the tribunal takes cognisance of any facts that would make registration improper. For a producer body, this means an opposition from a trader with an unrelated motive can still force the Registry to look at a real defect in the file.
The notice and its verification (06.01.02, 06.01.03)
The notice of opposition is made on Form GI-2 (Part A) in triplicate, within three months from the date the Journal is made available to the public, with a possible extension of up to one month on request before the three months end; the details are in rules 41 and 42. The notice includes a statement of grounds. The Manual says a copy is ordinarily served on the applicant within two months of receipt. The notice must be verified: the person verifying states, by reference to numbered paragraphs, what is within his own knowledge and what is from information believed to be true, and signs with date and place.
The counter-statement (06.02)
The applicant answers on Form GI-2 (Part B), in triplicate, within two months of receiving the copy of the notice. It must say which facts alleged in the notice are admitted, and it is verified in the same way. The Registrar serves a copy on the opponent. The rule is in rules 43 and 44.
The applicant's counter-statement is the first formal document in its own defence. Anything it does not deny risks being treated as accepted, so each paragraph of the notice should be answered.
The evidence stages (06.03 to 06.06)
| Stage | Who | What | Period (rule posts) | Form for extension |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence in support of opposition | Opponent | Affidavit, or written notice of reliance on the notice | Two months from service of the counter-statement, plus up to one month on request | Form GI-9 |
| Evidence in support of application | Applicant | Affidavit, or notice of reliance on counter-statement or earlier evidence | Two months from receipt, plus up to one month | Form GI-9 |
| Evidence in reply | Opponent | Strictly in reply | One month from receipt, plus up to one month | Form GI-9 |
| Further evidence | Either side | Only with the Registrar's leave | As the Registrar directs | Not applicable |
If the opponent takes none of the steps open to him at the first evidence stage, the Manual says the opposition is deemed abandoned. The Manual states no similar consequence for the applicant at its stage, and the rule post notes the same silence; the safe course is to file evidence or a written notice within time. Copies of every affidavit go to the other side. Both stages are in rules 45 to 49.
On exhibits (06.07), copies or impressions go to the other party on request and at his expense, or the originals are left at the Registry for inspection, and originals are produced at the hearing unless the Registrar says otherwise. On translations (06.08), a document in a language other than Hindi or English needs an attested translation in English or Hindi in duplicate.
Hearing and decision (06.09)
After the evidence is complete, the Registrar gives notice of a hearing date. The Manual says it is ordinarily within three months and not earlier than one month after the first notice unless the parties consent to shorter notice. A party who means to appear must tell the Registrar in writing within fourteen days of the first notice; one who does not is treated as not wishing to be heard, and the Registrar proceeds ex parte. This is the most important single step for a party that wants to be heard.
Adjournments are limited: on sufficient cause, not more than two requests of one month each, by Form GI-9. At an adjourned date, a non-appearing applicant may see the application treated as dismissed, and a non-appearing opponent may see the opposition dismissed for want of prosecution, so the application can proceed to registration. The Manual adds that an advocate being engaged elsewhere is not a ground, and illness is accepted only where no other agent or advocate could have been engaged in time. Written arguments are taken on record, oral arguments can be limited, and the decision is notified in writing. The rule is in rules 50 and 51.
Security for costs (06.10)
Where an applicant or opponent does not reside or carry on business in India, section 14(6) lets the Registrar require security for costs of the proceedings. The Manual notes the Registrar has full discretion on the scale of costs.
What has changed since the Manual
The procedure above follows the 2011 text and agrees with the Rules for the periods and forms checked. Three cautions apply. First, every fee printed in the Manual is overtaken, as the First Schedule was substituted in 2025. Second, any appeal from the Registrar's decision now lies to the High Court, because the Appellate Board was abolished by the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021. Third, the Act and Rules as now in force prevail over anything in the Manual.
A worked example
The Kaveripur Silk Weavers' Society (an invented body) has its application advertised. A trader from another district files a notice of opposition on Form GI-2, claiming "Kaveripur Silk" is a generic name.
The society receives its copy and diarises two months for the counter-statement. It answers every numbered paragraph, admits that silk is made elsewhere in the State, and denies that the place name is generic. The opponent files an affidavit; the society responds with affidavits from master weavers and a traders' association, copies to the opponent. When the hearing notice arrives, the society's counsel notifies the Registrar in writing within fourteen days. The decision follows in writing.
Common lapses
- Counting the two months from the date the Registrar sent the copy instead of the date the society received it.
- Leaving a numbered allegation unanswered in the counter-statement.
- Missing the written intimation of appearance after a hearing notice.
- Filing evidence late with no extension request in Form GI-9.
- Treating an adjournment as a right.
Need help with an opposition?
Whether you are defending an advertised application or considering an objection, the periods are short and consequences strict. We can prepare the counter-statement, evidence and hearing papers through our legal dispute resolution service, and review the underlying application first.
Key takeaways
- Any person may oppose, but only by notice to the Registrar at Chennai after advertisement.
- The counter-statement answers each paragraph and is verified.
- Evidence moves in stages, each with a period and a possible one-month extension.
- A party that does not notify appearance in time is treated as not wishing to be heard.
- Fees in the Manual are overtaken; appeals now go to the High Court.
Read next
- Manual Chapter 4: examination, acceptance and advertisement
- Manual Chapter 7: registration and the certificate
- Manual Chapter 9: rectification of the Register
- Time limits at every stage of GI registration
Disclaimer: Based on the documents of the Geographical Indications Registry named in the article (the Manual of Geographical Indications Practice and Procedure, Version 01.11 of 26 July 2011, and the draft guidelines published for comments in October 2025 and September 2026), as consulted on 4 October 2026. A draft is not final; none of these documents has the force of law; the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 and the Rules of 2002 as now in force prevail and the current position should be checked on ipindia.gov.in. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.