A property mark and a trademark are the same thing.

A property mark shows who owns a specific item of movable property, while a trademark identifies the commercial source or brand of goods generally -- they serve different legal purposes.

Indian Penal Code, 1860

Section 479

repealed

Property mark

A mark used for denoting that movable property belongs to a particular person is called a property mark.§

Why this exists

This is a definitional section that sets up the rest of the property-mark chapter (sections 480 to 489), which punishes counterfeiting or misusing such marks. A property mark is different from a trademark: it identifies ownership of a specific item, rather than identifying the commercial source or brand of goods generally. The IPC was repealed on 1 July 2024 and replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which now governs these offences.

Common misconceptions

Myth: A property mark and a trademark are the same thing.
Fact: A property mark shows who owns a specific item of movable property, while a trademark identifies the commercial source or brand of goods generally -- they serve different legal purposes.