Archive · 25 Nov 2025
India Approves First Smell Trademark for Rose-Scented Tyres
India has approved its first smell trademark for a Japanese company's rose-scented tyres.
This is a big deal because it's the first time a smell has been registered as a trademark in India.
The company, Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd., applied for the trademark in March 2023.
They want to protect the unique rose smell of their tyres.
The trademark office in India accepted the application because the rose smell is different from the usual smell of rubber and can help people remember the company's tyres.
This is also the first time a smell trademark has been registered in India, and it shows that the country is open to new types of trademarks.
India's Trade Mark Registry accepted a Japanese company's application for a 'floral fragrance/smell reminiscent of roses' as applied to tyres, marking the first smell trademark in India.
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. filed the application on March 23, 2023, under Class 12 (vehicles and parts) of the Nice Classification.
The trademark was accepted as it met the criteria of being clear, precise, self-contained, intelligible, objective, and graphically represented.
The registry acknowledged the complexity of the application and praised the graphical representation prepared by professors from the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad.
The company argued that the rose scent is distinctive and arbitrary in relation to tyres, and its registration in the UK supported its distinctiveness.
- Who
- Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd., a Japanese company
- What
- Registration of a smell trademark for rose-scented tyres
- When
- Application filed on March 23, 2023; approved on November 21, 2023
- Where
- India
- Why
- To create a distinct and memorable sensory experience for consumers and to protect the company's investment in research and development
- Company
- Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd.
- Trademark
- Floral fragrance/smell reminiscent of roses as applied to tyres
- Date of Application
- March 23, 2023
- Trademark Class
- Class 12 (Vehicles and parts)
- Graphical Representation
- Prepared by professors from IIT Allahabad
- Legal Basis
- Trade Marks Act, 1999
- Significance
- First smell trademark in India