Rules 19-20 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 19 lets the Registrar check whether an address for service in India entered in the Register is still available and strike it out if the person does not confirm within two months. Rule 20 says how an agent is authorised for the purpose of section 76 of the Act, on Form GI-10, and what follows once an agent is appointed.
If the Registrar doubts that an address for service in India is still available, he may write asking for confirmation; if no confirmation arrives within two months, he may strike the address from the Register and require a fresh address for service, or the principal place of business address if there is one. An agent is authorised under section 76 on Form GI-10 (Part B), or in another written form the Registrar thinks sufficient and proper. Service on the agent is service on the person, but the Registrar may still require the person's own signature or presence.
Rule 19: when the address for service may be struck out
Rule 19 applies "at any time when a doubt arises as to the continued availability of an address for service in India entered in the register". The steps it describes are:
- The Registrar requests the person for whom the address is entered to confirm it. The request is by letter directed to any other address entered in the register or, if none, to the address at which the Registrar considers the letter would reach him.
- The person has two months from the making of the request to confirm.
- If the Registrar receives no confirmation within two months, he "may strike the entry in the register of the address for service in India".
- He may then require the person to furnish a fresh address for service in India, or the address at the principal place of business in India, if he has any at that time.
| Stage | What the text says |
|---|---|
| Trigger | A doubt arises about the continued availability of the address |
| Request | Letter to another address in the register, or to an address where the letter would reach the person |
| Period | Two months from the request |
| If no confirmation | The Registrar may strike out the entry |
| Next step | The person must give a fresh address for service, or the principal place of business address if any |
The rule says "may", so striking out is discretionary. It also counts the two months from the making of the request, not from the person's receipt of it. Because the letter may go to an address other than the one in doubt, a producer group that has moved should keep its other contact details on record current. The rule on alteration of address in the Register is explained in our article on alteration of address, and the rules on giving an address are in our article on address for service in India.
Once the address is struck out and not replaced, the consequences of rule 17(3) become relevant: without an address for service as required, the Registrar need not send notices, and later decisions cannot be challenged for non-service. That is why a reply to a rule 19 letter should not be delayed.
Rule 20(1): authorising an agent on Form GI-10
Rule 20(1) says the authorisation of an agent for the purpose of section 76 "shall be executed on Form GI-10 or in such other written form as the Registrar may deem sufficient and proper". Section 76 of the Act allows a person to act through an agent; see our article on sections 74 to 76 of the GI Act.
The text of Form GI-10 is in two parts. Part A is an application by the registered proprietor for cancellation of an entry or striking out goods under section 28(c) or (d). Part B is the "Form of Authorisation of Agent in a matter or proceeding under the Act (Section 76 and rule 20)". In Part B the principal says "I (or we) ... hereby authorise ... to act as my (or our) agent for ..." and requests that all notices, requisitions and communications relating to the matter be sent to the agent at the stated address. The principal also states "I (or we) hereby revoke all previous authorisations, if any, in respect of the proceeding", and gives an address in India for communications. The instructions at the foot say to strike out what is not necessary and that the signature is of the registered proprietor or of his agent.
Entry 10B of the First Schedule, as substituted in November 2025, covers the "Form of authorisation of agent in a matter or proceedings under the Act " with the amount shown as "Nil", against Form GI-10. So no fee is payable under that entry for the authorisation as printed in the First Schedule. The entry is distinct from entry 10A, which is the fee for cancellation or striking out of goods.
If you are choosing an agent for a geographical indication matter, a legal consultation before signing is worthwhile. Remember that the authorisation is per matter or proceeding: Part B names the matter, and a new matter calls for a new authorisation.
Rule 20(2): effect of authorisation
Rule 20(2) states three effects of an authorisation:
- service upon the agent of any document relating to the proceeding or matter is deemed to be service upon the person authorising him;
- all communications directed to be made to the person in respect of the proceeding or matter may be addressed to the agent; and
- all appearances before the Registrar relating to the proceeding may be made by or through the agent.
For a farmers' society, this means that the agent's inbox becomes the society's inbox for that matter. The society should therefore make sure its agent forwards notices promptly. Under rules 19 and 17, a society cannot later complain of non-service merely because its agent did not pass a notice on, because service on the agent counts as service on the principal.
Rule 20(3): the Registrar can ask for the person
Rule 20(3) says that "in any particular case the Registrar may require the personal signature or presence of an applicant, opponent, proprietor, authorised user or other person". An agent therefore cannot always stand in for the person. The Registrar may insist, for example, on the proprietor's own signature on a document or presence at a hearing.
Who is an "agent"?
Rule 2(1)(b) defines an "agent" as a person authorised under section 76. A "registered geographical indications agent" under rule 2(1)(r) is a narrower class: a person whose name is on the Register of Geographical Indications Agent maintained under rule 102. The registration of such agents is covered in our article on the register of GI agents. The text of rule 20 does not say that the agent under section 76 must be a registered agent; it speaks only of "an agent for the purpose of Section 76". Section 76 of the Act, covered in the article linked above, governs who may act as agent.
A worked example
Blue Hills Pottery Collective, an invented society, appoints a consultant to act in its application. It signs Part B of Form GI-10 naming the consultant and the matter, and gives the consultant's address as the address for communications. When the Registrar issues an examination objection, he sends it to the consultant. Under rule 20(2) that is service on the Collective. At a later stage the Registrar directs that the Collective's president attend personally, which he is entitled to do under rule 20(3). All names are invented.
Need help appointing an agent or answering the Registrar?
Appointing an agent is a legal act with consequences: notices to the agent bind you. We assist producer groups in documenting authorisations and in replying to Registry letters; start with a legal consultation on your matter.
Key takeaways
- Rule 19: the Registrar may ask for confirmation of an address for service and strike it out if there is no reply within two months.
- After striking out, a fresh address for service, or the principal place of business address, may be required.
- Rule 20(1): authorise an agent on Form GI-10 (Part B) or another written form the Registrar thinks sufficient and proper.
- Rule 20(2): service on the agent is service on the person; appearances may be through the agent.
- Rule 20(3): the Registrar may require the person's own signature or presence.
- Entry 10B of the First Schedule (November 2025) shows the authorisation as "Nil".
- Check for amendments after 3 November 2025.
Read next
- Rules 17-18: address for service in India
- Rules 21-22: classification of goods and request for search
- Rules 102-103: register of GI agents and existing trade marks agents
Disclaimer: Based on the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Rules, 2002 as notified on 8 March 2002 and as amended by the Amendment Rules of 2020 (G.S.R. 528(E)) and 2025 (G.S.R. 812(E)), as consulted on 2 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.