Trivandrum: Kerala now owns the acronym ‘KSRTC’, its logo and the name ‘Anavandi’ with reference to the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation as per the Trademark Act, 1999. The acronym KSRTC, which was commonly used on the vehicles of the Road Transport Corporation of both the States of Kerala and Karnataka can now be used only by Kerala.
Both the states have been using the name KSRTC in public transport services for years. However, in 2014, Karnataka had sent a notice stating that the acronym ‘KSRTC’ belonged to Karnataka and should not be used by Kerala. The then CMD of Kerala SRTC, late Anthony Chacko, had applied to the Registrar of Trademarks under the Central Government for registering the trademark. It was followed by years of legal battles. Finally, the abbreviation KSRTC, its emblem and name Anavandi were sanctioned to the Kerala Road Transport Corporation under the Trademarks Act, 1999 and the notification issued by the Trade Marks Registry.
In a statement, the Transport Minister, Shri Antony Raju said, “The history of KSRTC is intertwined with the lives of the people in Kerala. It is not just a vehicle service, it has left its mark on our cultural life, including in cinema and literature. It cannot be erased so quickly. We are happy that the Trademark Registry was able to figure this out and issue the order. This is an achievement for KSRTC and I congratulate the officers who worked for this.”
Biju Prabhakar IAS, Transport Secretary and also MD KSRTC, said, “The acronym ‘KSRTC’ can now be used only by Kerala and therefore a notice would be sent to Karnataka soon. The name ‘Anavandi’ is also being used for various purposes and legal action will be initiated against them.”
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation was established by the Kerala government on 15 March 1965 and has been since using the KSRTC brand name. Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation started using the mark KSTRC in 1974. Karnataka went to the Trademarks Registry in 2012 and in 2014, secured the trademark on the name ‘KSRTC’ with its logo.
Anil Philip
Kerala Biz News