Indian beauty queen and Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai is in the final stages of obtaining a U.S. trademark for her name from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, a federal agency under the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Most likely, Aishwarya Rai will be the first Bollywood star to get the coveted USPTO trademark.

Getting the Aishwarya Rai trademark from the USPTO is important as the actress steps up her involvement in Hollywood films.

The USPTO trademark will also deter others from profiting on the Aishwarya Rai name online or offline and make it easier for the actress to take legal action against alleged infringers.

Recently married to Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai is considered one of the world’s most beautiful women although her acting talents can only charitably be described as pathetic. But in fairness to Aishwarya Rai, most Bollywood actors including her father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan, husband Abhishek Bachchan and current superstar Shahrukh Khan merely go through the motions of acting.

Aishwarya Rai, or Ash, as she is popularly known in India, is obtaining the trademark from the USPTO in two broad categories – advertising and entertainment services (personal appearance by a celebrity fashion model).

Aishwarya Rai applied for the Service Mark (to use the correct term) on March 28, 2006.

Aishwarya Rai’s application was published for opposition in February this year and notice of allowance mailed in May after receiving no oppositions.

The Serial Number of Aishwarya Rai’s trademark application with the USPTO is 76657645.

Last month, the USPTO completed processing the Statement of Use application, which was filed by Aishwarya Rai’s agents electronically in July.

The next steps in the lengthy USPTO registration process are essentially procedural and it’s all but certain that the formal registration for the Aishwarya Rai service mark will be completed in a few weeks.

Once the process is completed, the USPTO will issue Aishwarya Rai an official Registration Number and Registration Date.

The Bollywood actress filed for the USPTO Service Mark via her U.S. representative and international manager Simone Sheffield.

But here’s an interesting twist: some Indian media sources have reported that Aishwarya Rai has changed her maiden name to Aishwarya Bachchan following her marriage.

So, will this Bollywood babe file an amendment application with the USPTO to change the Service Mark to Aishwarya Bachchan? Watch this space.

Aishwarya Rai’s upcoming movies include Jodha Akbar, Sarkar Raj and Pink Panther 2. Her latest Hollywood movie The Last Legion was a dud at the boxoffice in the U.S.

  Aishwarya Rai