Osmania University Arts College building in Hyderabad. File
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
The Arts College building of Hyderabad’s Osmania University (OU) has become the third structure in India to receive trademark registration for its exterior design.
Constructed in 1939, the OU Arts College building has long stood as a symbol of Hyderabad’s rich architectural and educational heritage. With this trademark registration, the university now holds exclusive rights over the use of the building’s image for any commercial purpose, protecting it from unauthorised replication and branding, said a release.
Subhajit Saha, trademark agent with Resolute Group, who facilitated the application, confirmed that this is only the third instance in India where a building has been granted a trademark. The first two were the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai in 2017 and the Bombay Stock Exchange. “Several iconic structures like T-Hub and T-Works could also consider this route to preserve their distinct architectural identity,” he added.
Head of the IPR Chair at Osmania University, under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), G.B. Reddy said the trademark would act as a safeguard against ‘copycat architecture’, a growing practice of imitating established designs.
Published – April 20, 2025 07:38 pm IST