Nuns at Mother Teresa's order said they were seeking copyright on her name and the logo of their order to prevent individuals or organisations using them without permission.
Sister M. Nirmala, Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity, told AFP on Wednesday in the eastern city of Calcutta that the move to seek legal protection was in keeping with the wishes of Mother Teresa, who died in 1997.
"In her lifetime, Mother Teresa expressed on a number of occasions her wish that her name not be used by any other individual or organisation without her permission, or after her death, the permission of her successor, the Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity," she said.
"Respecting her wish, we have made the same request many times since her death in 1997 and shall continue to do so," she added.
"We are seeking legal protection for the use of our logo, and also want such protection for the name of the Mother Teresa and that of the Missionaries of Charity."
The logo was designed by Mother Teresa.
Sister Nirmala said many organisations had already responded to their request to stop using Mother Teresa's name.
"We are grateful to all those who have thus far complied with our request to remove the name of Mother Teresa from their organisations names, such as the Mother Teresa Institute of Management."
The organisation's lawyer said that papers relating to registration of the logo and other intellectual property had been submitted to Indian authorities and was likely to be approved soon.
Mother Teresa died aged 87 after a lifetime of service to the poor which earned her a global recognition, as well as the Nobel Peace Prize.