Rules 17 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.
Rule 17 requires every applicant, opponent and other person in a proceeding to give an address for service in India, now made up of a postal address and a valid email address. It also says what happens if you do not: the Registrar need not send you any notice. Rule 18 tells you how the Registrar serves documents on you and when service is deemed complete. For a trademark registration applicant, these two rules are the reason your email inbox matters as much as your letterbox.
Every applicant, opponent or other person must give an address for service in India: a postal address in India and a valid email address (rule 17(1)). A trademark agent must also give a mobile number registered in India. Unless the address is given, the Registrar has no obligation to send any notice, and no later order can be questioned for non-service (rule 17(3)). The Registrar may serve by hand, post or email, and an email is deemed served at the time of sending (rule 18).
Rule 17: address for service
Sub-rule (1): what must be given
"Every applicant or opponent or any person concerned in any proceeding under the Act or rules shall furnish to the Registrar an address for service in India comprising of a postal address in India and a valid e-mail address and such address shall be treated as the address for service of such applicant or opponent or person."
The proviso adds: "a trademark agent shall also be required to furnish a mobile number registered in India."
| Person | What to furnish |
|---|---|
| Applicant, opponent or any person concerned in a proceeding | Postal address in India and a valid email address |
| Trademark agent | The same, and a mobile number registered in India |
Sub-rule (2): deemed proper addressing
"Any written communication addressed to a person as aforesaid at an address for service in India given by him shall be deemed to be properly addressed." So the address you give is the address the Registry may safely use.
Sub-rule (3): the consequence of not giving one
"Unless an address for service in India as required in sub-rule (1) is given, the Registrar shall be under no obligation to send any notice that may be required by the Act or the rules and no subsequent order or decision in the proceedings shall be called in question on the ground of any lack or non-service of notice."
This is the sting. If you give no address for service in India, you cannot later complain that a hearing notice, examination report or opposition notice never reached you, and you cannot attack the order on that ground. Foreign applicants are especially exposed, which is why rule 15(3) asks them to give an address for service in India alongside their home address.
The rule does not say that the address must be of an agent. Rule 19(4) and (5) show that when an agent withdraws or authorisation is revoked and there is no principal place of business in India, the applicant or opponent has two months to provide an address for service in India or the application or opposition is deemed abandoned.
Rule 18: service by the Registrar
| Sub-rule | Text, in summary |
|---|---|
| (1) | All communications and documents in relation to an application, an opposition matter or a registered trademark may be served by the Registrar by leaving them at, or sending them by post to, the address for service of the party concerned, or by email communication |
| (2) | A communication or document so sent is deemed served at the time when the letter would be delivered in the ordinary course of post, or at the time of sending the email |
| (3) | To prove service, it is sufficient to prove that the letter was properly addressed and put into the post, or that the email was sent to the email id provided by the party |
Three practical consequences follow.
- Email is service. The Registrar need not post anything to you. A notice sent to the email id you provided is served, and the text deems service at the time of sending.
- Proof is light. The Registry only needs to show proper addressing and posting, or sending to the email id on record. It does not have to prove that you opened or read the message.
- The email id is the one "provided by the party". If you change your email or let the mailbox lapse, notices may still be treated as served at the old address. The Rules do not say how quickly a change takes effect once notified, so update the Registry promptly.
Example: Rohit Dairy Foods lists a general company mailbox that is checked once a week. An examination report is sent by email on Monday. Rule 18(2) deems it served at the time of sending, and the one-month period for a response under rule 33(4) is counted from receipt of the report as rule 33 defines it. The delay in reading the mailbox is Rohit's risk, so use an address that is watched daily.
How the rules fit together
- Rule 14 is about documents going to the Registry or another person.
- Rule 17 is about the address the Registry uses to reach you.
- Rule 18 is about how and when service by the Registrar is complete.
- The Act's own provision on addresses for service is in sections 143 and 144.
Version note
The text is the Rules as notified on 6 March 2017. Later amendments may have changed the contents of address for service; check them.
Need help with an address for service?
Giving the right address, and watching it, protects you from missed notices. Our trademark registration team can help you set up the address for service correctly and follow notices from the Registry.
Key takeaways
- The address for service in India has two parts: a postal address and a valid email address.
- A trademark agent must also give a mobile number registered in India.
- If no address for service is given, the Registrar need not send notices and later orders cannot be questioned for non-service.
- The Registrar may serve by hand, post or email.
- Email service is deemed complete at the time of sending.
Read next
- Rule 14: service of documents
- Rules 15–16: particulars of address and statement of principal place of business
- Rule 19: agency and authorisation of an agent
- How to check trademark status on the IP India portal
Disclaimer: Based on the Trade Marks Rules, 2017 as notified on 6 March 2017, as consulted on 1 October 2026. Later amendment rules, forms and fees should be checked in their current form. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.