Rules 67 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 67 lets a person with an interest in a registered geographical indication join a rectification case that someone else has started. Rule 68 describes the notice the Registrar must send when he proposes to rectify the register himself. Both sit in Chapter V and work with section 27 of the Act.
A person "alleging interest" may apply on Form GI-6 for leave to intervene in a rule 65 application; the Registrar may refuse or grant leave after hearing the parties, on terms that can include security for costs. When the Registrar acts on his own, the section 27(4) notice must be in writing, state the grounds, and give not less than one month to apply for a hearing. A person who neither responds nor applies may be treated as not wishing to take part.
The setting: rule 65 applications
Rules 65 and 66 let a person apply under section 27 to cancel, expunge or vary an entry on the register and let the registered proprietor answer by counterstatement. Our article on rules 65 and 66 explains that procedure. Rule 67 deals with a third person who was not the applicant and not the proprietor, but whose interests are affected by the outcome. The legal basis is explained in our article on section 27 of the GI Act.
Rule 67: who may intervene
Rule 67 reads: "Any person alleging interest in a registered geographical indication in respect of which an application is made under rule 65 may apply on Form GI-6 for leave to intervene, stating the nature of his interest".
Several points follow from the text:
- Who: any person who alleges an interest. The rule does not list categories. A grower, a trader, an association, a neighbouring producer group or an authorised user could each say they have an interest, but the Registrar decides if the interest is made out.
- What is applied for: "leave to intervene" in the proceeding already pending under rule 65. It is not a fresh rectification application.
- Form and fee: Form GI-6. Entry 6B of the First Schedule as substituted in November 2025, "on application for leave to intervene in proceedings relating to the rectification of the Register or for the removal of a geographical indication or an authorised user from the Register", is Rs. 500.
- What the applicant must state: the nature of the interest. A bare request without it does not meet the rule.
A drafting slip: entry 6B cites "rule 67 and 80(4)". Rule 80 has only two sub-rules, so there is no 80(4). We flag it and do not correct it.
A person weighing whether to intervene often seeks advice from a legal dispute resolution practitioner first, because the Registrar may attach costs conditions.
How the Registrar decides
"The Registrar may refuse or grant such leave after hearing if so required the parties concerned, upon such terms and conditions including undertakings or conditions as to security for cost as he may deem fit to impose." Three features stand out:
- Discretion. Leave is not a right; the Registrar may refuse it.
- Hearing. The parties concerned are heard "if so required".
- Conditions. The Registrar may impose terms, including undertakings and security for costs. An intervener should expect that joining a case may put money at risk.
The rule gives no time limit for the application to intervene, nor a form of the Registrar's order. The text is silent on both.
Rule 68: when the Registrar acts of his own motion
Section 27(4) of the Act allows the Registrar to act without an application. Rule 68(1) prescribes the notice. It "shall be sent in writing to the registered proprietor and to any other person who appears from the register to have any interest in the registered geographical indication". It "shall state the grounds on which the Registrar proposes to rectify the register" and "shall also specify the time, not being less than one month from the date of such notice, within which an application for a hearing shall be made".
| Content of the notice | Source |
|---|---|
| In writing | Rule 68(1) |
| Sent to the registered proprietor and anyone appearing from the register to have an interest | Rule 68(1) |
| States the grounds of the proposed rectification | Rule 68(1) |
| Gives a time, not less than one month from the date of notice, to apply for a hearing | Rule 68(1) |
What the person notified should do
Rule 68(2) is a warning to the recipient: "Unless within the time specified in the notice aforesaid, any person so notified sends to the Registrar a statement in writing setting out fully the facts upon which he relies to meet the grounds stated in the notice or applies for a hearing, he may be treated as not desiring to take part in the proceedings and the Registrar may act accordingly."
There are two ways to respond within the time in the notice: a written statement of facts answering the grounds, or an application for a hearing. Doing neither lets the Registrar treat the person as out of the proceedings. The word is "may", so the Registrar is not forced to proceed, but a recipient should not count on it.
Rule 68(3) is brief: "If the Registrar decides to rectify the register he shall communicate his decision in writing." The rules do not prescribe a time for the decision.
Why the register address matters again
The notice goes to people who "appear from the register". An outdated register address means a notice may be missed. Our article on alteration of address in the register explains how to keep it current.
An example
Sundarban Honey Collectors' Federation learns that a rectification application has been filed against a registered indication for forest honey, and that the application, if allowed, would narrow the area of production. The Federation is not a party. Under rule 67 it applies on Form GI-6, stating how its members' livelihood depends on the registered area. The Registrar hears the parties and grants leave on condition that the Federation gives an undertaking on costs.
In another case the Registrar notices that a registered entry carries an error and sends a rule 68(1) notice to the proprietor and to each listed authorised user, giving six weeks to ask for a hearing. One user sends a written statement of facts; the others do nothing. The Registrar may treat the silent users as not wishing to take part.
What the rules leave open
- No period is fixed for applying to intervene.
- No period is fixed for the Registrar's decision after a hearing.
- The rules do not say that an intervener becomes a full party in all respects; the Registrar's terms govern.
Where the Registrar decides against a person, an appeal to the High Court under section 31 of the Act is the route; see our article on appeals to the High Court. Amendments made after November 2025 should be checked before acting.
Need help with a rectification proceeding?
Whether you want to join a case or respond to a Registrar's notice, the dates in the notice decide your position. Our legal dispute resolution team can prepare the Form GI-6 application or the written statement within the time allowed.
Key takeaways
- Rule 67: any person alleging interest may apply on Form GI-6 for leave to intervene in a rule 65 application.
- The Registrar may refuse or grant leave after hearing, on terms including security for costs.
- Rule 68(1): the Registrar's own-motion notice is written, states grounds and allows not less than one month to apply for a hearing.
- Rule 68(2): silence may lead to treatment as not wishing to take part.
- Rule 68(3): the decision to rectify is communicated in writing.
- Entry 6B (Rs. 500) is the fee entry for intervention, and it carries a slip, "80(4)".
Read next
- Rules 65 and 66: application to rectify or remove, and further procedure
- Rule 69: alteration of address in the register
- Section 27 of the GI Act: power to cancel or vary registration
- Sections 34 and 35: rectification before the High Court
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.