Corruption in trade mark registration

The trade mark registry has more than 50 officials but it takes about 5/6 years to register a trade mark. The files and records are not maintained in the office systematically at all. All the outgoing and incoming correspondences are in a mess. Many files are missing. Many trade mark records are missing. Anyone can visit the office and see that the important records and files are piled up on the floors and verandahs just like street garbage.

The trade mark registry is a profit-making agency of the government but it continues to be in a very shabby condition, being located at the servants' quarters of the Shilpa Bhaban. The office does not even provide a file to any trade mark applicant. The file covers are sold by the employees at a high price. Bribing is so rampant that all employees, even the peons and low grade staff here, own buildings and shops in the capital city of Dhaka. Such is the situation created in the office that all persons coming to this office are forced by circumstances to pay huge bribes.

Though overstaffed and having dozens of computers, the office doesn't have an index of the registered trade marks; nor any index of the trade mark owners; and no record of registration grants . In the modern computerized process this entire assignment can be completed in one month, but the office has failed to do this essential work for the last 30 years. All the trade mark offices in other countries keep such indexes open for public inspection.

The trade mark applicants or their lawyers are not allowed to see their respective files. No orders made in the files are shown to the applicants or their lawyers. Such practice does not exist even in the Supreme Court, High Court or district courts. The entire office is running on whims and caprices of some people. We request the authorities concerned to look into the matter.