New Delhi, July 1 -- From 'Pulwama' to 'Covid-19', and now 'Operation Sindoor', India's trademark registry has repeatedly seen a rush of applications to commercialise national events, military operations or public crises-particularly by content producers and entertainment companies.

A recent public interest litigation (PIL) before the Supreme Court has brought this trend into focus once again. The PIL challenges multiple trademark applications for the term 'Operation Sindoor', India's military response to a recent terror attack by Pakistan.

Legal experts say this is just the latest example of "moment trademarking"-a strategy where entities race to lock down topical or emotionally charged names for exclusive commercial use, even if they ...