People have a right to protection, as well as the ability to manage the use of their names, similarities, and personality. If your brand name appears to include the name, trademark, or image of a living person, then your brand name will need to be registered with their written consent. In India, Section 2 (1)(m) of the Trade Marks Act, 1999, states that a mark includes 'signatures. Also, Section 2 (1) (zb), states that a trademark is a graphic mark that distinguishes goods and services by shape, packaging, or color combination.

The incorporated sections could mean that the signature may get trademarked so it has a unique writing style but for the brand, goods, or services to assure an individual or the customers that is a unique product or a service.

Here are some examples of Signature Trademarks registered in India:
Signatures of Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone. Celebs like Sachin Tendulkar (word mark), and Shah Rukh Khan (word mark) have even registered their name, surname (Tendulkar), and even initials (SRK by Shah Rukh Khan).

There are certain pros and cons for registering a signature as a Trademark.
Pros: Registering a signature as a trademark in India protects your brand, prevents others from using it without permission, and increases its value. This legal protection protects against businesses, individual work, and counterfeits. It also establishes your brand as unique and valuable, attracting customers and increasing market value. In summary, registering a signature in India ensures ownership and use of your brand.

Cons: Customers may struggle to identify registered signatures with similar names, potentially causing infringement. Widely used signatures may attract copyright infringement. The trademark registry may reject a signature if it's too similar to an existing trademark or if there are technical or legal issues. If rejected, trying other signatures can be time-consuming.

Signatures are acknowledged to be prima facie naturally distinctive marks as a signature is distinctive of the individual who signed.
In any case, it would be inappropriate to expect that only a celebrity can register their signature indeed, even a customary individual can apply for registration of his/her signature.

For example, One can register a signature under class 3, 18, 25, 35,41, etc. of a trademark to give identity to their brand.

One can register a signature for his personal identity, as a logo of their brand, or can attach a signature in the logo, under the logo, etc.

For example:
Paul Smith - A British Fashion Designer, uses his own name signature as a logo for his clothing brand.

Thus, the signature must be carefully styled. Each of the details has to speak about the identity of your brand or products/services.

In a broad sense, a brand signature is a one-of-a-kind brand identity.
A signature is a unique symbol that represents a product or service, helping differentiate a company from others. Continuously used, signatures become recognizable symbols for the brand, enhancing its recognition and impact.

For example:

Callista is an example of a clothing brand registered letters in the form of a signature under class 25 of the Trademark Act. And the famous Disney logo is actually Walt Disney's personal signature.

'Signature' as Trademark: Different from the rest of types of the trademarks
Signature as a trademark can be a legal protection for brand names and symbols. Unlike other marks, Signature as a mark can protect a person's name, initials, or unique design. Once registered, the owner of the trademark has the exclusive right to use it for commercial purposes and can take legal action against anyone who infringes on the trademark.

There are different marks, such as word marks, device marks, service marks, etc. They have different characteristics and have their own way of protecting marks that come under their category. However, a signature as a mark can distinguish an individual's personal identity. That signature should be unique, written in a styled manner, and written in an individual's handwriting. In this way, the signature can be differentiated as a mark itself from the other marks.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, a signature qualifies as intellectual property (a trademark) under Section 2(m) and Section 2(zb) of the Trademark Act, 1999. Registering a signature as a trademark in India can provide legal protection and brand identity and help establish your business. It also ensures that others do not infringe on your mark.

Signatures give a brand identity, and the nature of signatures is unique and different from the other marks. Signatures are a kind of mark that should be included among the types of trademarks as a unique mark that is different from the rest of the trademarks.

Word marks, device marks, service marks, etc. have different characteristics of their own. In the same way, a signature as a mark has different characteristics regardless of what other marks connote.

Therefore, a signature is itself a mark.