The Army’s Pune-headquartered Southern Command has warned of legal action against design infringement and unauthorised reproduction of the new digital pattern combat uniform for Army soldiers that was unveiled last year. On January 15 last year, when the Army marked the Army Day, it unveiled the new digital pattern combat uniform for its soldiers. The improved uniform has a contemporary look and functional design. The fabric has been made lighter, stronger, breathable, quick drying and easier to maintain. The Army has said that the new design is also unique because of the inclusion of gender specific modifications for women’s combat uniform. In October last year, the process for registration of the new camouflage pattern and design of the improved combat uniform to establish ownership of the Indian Army was completed by the Kolkata-based Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademark. The registration was published in the official journal of the Patent Office in the issue 42/2022 on October 21 last year. A press statement from the Southern Command issued on Saturday said, “As per orders on the subject, these uniforms will be sold only in the unit-run canteens of the Army. Due to the Intellectual Property Rights, the Indian Army now possesses exclusive rights to the design and can file a legal suit against any design infringement and unauthorized reproduction of this design. In collaboration with the civil authorities and the police, Headquarters Southern Command has proactively disseminated this information to all the vendors in not only Maharashtra but all states under its area of responsibility.” After the completion of the registration of the IPR, Indian Army had said, “The exclusive IPR of the design and camouflage pattern now rests solely with the Indian Army, and therefore manufacturing by any vendor who is not authorised to do so will be illegal and is liable to face legal repercussions. Indian Army can enforce exclusive rights to the design and can file infringement suits by way of a civil action before a competent court of law. Remedies against infringements include interim and permanent injunctions as well as damages.” “The copyright of the design is with the Indian Army for 10 years extendable by another five years. This has been done to prevent unauthorized vendors from manufacturing and selling the combat pattern dress in the open market as it was posing a serious security threat for the Indian Army and the nation as a whole." the Southern Command press statement said. As part of the process of introduction of the new pattern uniform, a total of 50,000 sets had been procured through Canteen Stores Department (CSD) by November last year. These sets were delivered to 15 CSD depots including those in Delhi, Leh, BD Bari, Srinagar, Udhampur, Andaman and Nicobar, Jabalpur, Masimpur, Narangi, Dimapur, Bagdogra, Lucknow, Ambala, Mumbai and Khadki in Pune.
