How to Fill the Trademark Application Form in Nepal

To fill the trademark application form in Nepal, you complete Schedule 1(c) under the Patent, Design and Trade Mark Act 1965 and submit it to the Department of Industry (DoI) with four identical specimens of your mark, a notarised Power of Attorney, and the prescribed fee. Getting the form right the first time avoids months of delay and locks in your priority date under Nepal's first-to-file system.

Key Takeaways

• The official form is Schedule 1(c) — one form covers one NICE class; multiple classes mean multiple forms.
• You must file four identical specimens of the mark along with the application.
• A notarised Power of Attorney is mandatory — signed by the applicant, sealed, and attested by two witnesses.
• The DoI examines your form for completeness and the mark for distinctiveness before publication in the Industrial Property Bulletin.
• Common rejection triggers: wrong class, vague goods description, specimen mismatches, or an improperly notarised PoA.
• Once published, a 90-day opposition window opens before the registration certificate is issued.
• You cannot use the ® symbol until the Schedule 2(c) registration certificate is in hand.

What is the Schedule 1(c) trademark application form?

Schedule 1(c) is the official application document prescribed under the Patent, Design and Trade Mark Act 1965 for registering a trademark in Nepal. It captures your identity as the applicant, a clear representation of the mark, the goods or services you want to protect under a specific NICE class, and your claim to ownership. The DoI uses this single form — one per class — as the starting point for examination, publication in the Industrial Property Bulletin, and eventual issuance of the Schedule 2(c) registration certificate.

Who can fill and file the form?

Any individual, firm, or company — Nepali or foreign — that owns or intends to use a trademark can file Schedule 1(c). Nepali applicants may file directly or through a registered agent. Foreign applicants must file through a Nepal-based agent or legal representative holding a notarised Power of Attorney, because Nepal is not a member of the Madrid System. If a company is the applicant, a board resolution authorising the trademark filing and identifying the signatory is also required.

Which NICE classes should you list on the form?

Nepal follows the NICE Classification — 45 classes split into goods (Classes 1–34) and services (Classes 35–45). You must pick exactly one class per Schedule 1(c) form. A clothing brand protecting its name on apparel and its retail shop would file two separate forms: Class 25 for clothing and Class 35 for retail services. Choosing the wrong class is a frequent reason applications get stuck. Our NICE Class Finder helps you identify the correct class before you fill the form, and the AI NICE Classifier can scan your business description and suggest matching classes.

How do you complete each section of the form step by step?

While the exact layout of Schedule 1(c) is standard, the DoI expects precision in every field. Here is the sequence most applications follow — missing any step can trigger a deficiency notice from the examiner.

1. Applicant details. Enter the full legal name, registered address, and nationality of the individual or company. For a company, use the name exactly as it appears on the company registration certificate from the Office of the Company Registrar.
2. Representation of the mark. Affix or print a clear, high-resolution image of the trademark exactly as you intend to use it. If the mark is a wordmark, type it in standard characters. If it includes a logo, stylised text, or a device, the image must match the four physical specimens you attach.
3. Description of the mark. Describe the mark in words. For a wordmark, state the text. For a composite or logo mark, describe the visual elements, any colours claimed as a feature, and any stylisation. Be precise — this description defines the scope of protection.
4. NICE class and goods/services specification. Write the class number and list the specific goods or services. Use the NICE classification's pre-approved terms. Broad or vague descriptions like "clothing" are riskier than "footwear, shirts, and trousers in Class 25."
5. Claim of ownership and use. State that you are the owner of the mark and, if already in use in Nepal, provide the date of first use. Nepal is a first-to-file jurisdiction, so a first-use date is not required to secure rights — but it can strengthen your position in a dispute.
6. Priority claim (if applicable). If you filed the same mark in a Paris Convention country within the last six months, enter the foreign application number, date, and country to claim priority under the Paris Convention.
7. Signatory declaration. The form must be signed by the applicant or an authorised signatory. For companies, the signatory named in the board resolution signs here.

What documents accompany the form?

A correctly filled Schedule 1(c) is never submitted alone. The DoI requires a supporting document packet that varies slightly between domestic and foreign applicants. Incomplete documentation is the single biggest cause of application rejection before examination even begins.

The four specimens must be identical, clear, and printed on good-quality paper at a size that shows the mark distinctly. If the mark claims colour, all four specimens must be in colour. A frequent mistake is submitting three colour specimens and one black-and-white photocopy — that inconsistency invites an objection from the examiner. For guidance on gathering everything you need, see our article on how to register a trademark in Nepal.

How does the first-to-file rule affect what you write on the form?

Nepal is a first-to-file jurisdiction — trademark rights belong to whoever files a valid application first, not whoever used the mark first in the market. This makes the filing date on your Schedule 1(c) the single most valuable piece of data on the form. While you can optionally state a date of first use in Nepal, that date does not create priority. What creates priority is the moment the DoI accepts your complete application and assigns an application number. If someone else has been using a similar unregistered mark for years but you file first, you win the right to the registration. That is why filling the form correctly and filing without delay matters more than almost any other strategic decision.

What are the most common mistakes when filling the form?

After working with applications at the DoI examination stage, a handful of errors keep surfacing. Avoid these and your application moves faster.

• Wrong NICE class. Picking Class 25 for a retail shop or Class 35 for clothing manufacture. Each class covers specific goods or services — if you are unsure, run your business description through our AI NICE Classifier before you write anything on the form.
• Vague goods/services specification. Writing "all goods in Class 9" or "business services" instead of precise, NICE-approved terms. The DoI examiner will object and ask you to narrow it — costing you weeks.
• Mismatch between the form image and the four specimens. Even a slight variation — a different shade, a missing tagline — can trigger a request for clarification.
• Missing or improperly notarised Power of Attorney. The PoA must be signed by the applicant, sealed, and attested by two witnesses. A PoA that skips the witness attestation will be rejected.
• No board resolution for company applicants. The DoI wants to see that the company explicitly authorised this specific trademark filing. A generic resolution sometimes passes; a dated, specific one always does.
• Signature mismatch. The person who signs Schedule 1(c) must be the same person named in the PoA and the board resolution. Three different signatories across three documents is a guaranteed delay.

What happens after the DoI accepts the form?

Acceptance of the Schedule 1(c) form is not the same as approval of the trademark. The DoI first checks that the form is complete and the documents are in order. Then the substantive examination begins — the examiner searches for conflicting marks, assesses whether your mark is distinctive, and checks it against the prohibitions in the Act (marks that hurt reputation, offend public morality, or damage another's goodwill). If the examiner raises an objection, you get a chance to respond. If you overcome it — or if no objection is raised — the mark is published in the Industrial Property Bulletin. The opposition window runs 90 days from publication. Only after that window closes without a challenge do you pay the registration fee and receive the Schedule 2(c) registration certificate. The whole sequence is explained in our trademark application process guide.

A realistic example: a Kathmandu coffee roaster

Imagine "Himal Bean Coffee," a specialty roaster in Patan planning to sell packaged beans and run a café. They want to protect their name and the circular logo with a mountain-and-coffee-cherry graphic. Here is how they fill the form.

They file two Schedule 1(c) forms — one for Class 30 (coffee, roasted coffee beans, coffee-based beverages) and one for Class 43 (café and coffee-shop services). On each form, they affix the logo exactly as it appears on their packaging. They describe the mark as "a circular device containing the words Himal Bean Coffee in stylised script, with a graphic of a snow-capped mountain above a red coffee cherry, all in green, white, and red." They attach four identical colour-printed specimens per form. Their company's board resolution authorises the managing director to sign, and the same director signs the PoA and both Schedule 1(c) forms. Within two weeks of submission, they hold two filing acknowledgments — and their priority date is locked.

How does the cost structure work for the application form?

The total cost of filing a trademark application in Nepal has two components: the government fee payable to the DoI for each Schedule 1(c) form, and the professional service fee if you engage an agent or IP consultant. The government fee is per-class, per-application — so Himal Bean Coffee's two-class filing pays the government fee twice. Professional fees vary based on whether you need a pre-filing search, class identification advice, document preparation, and ongoing examination support. Filing yourself without an agent is legally possible for Nepali applicants, but the form's technical requirements and the cost of a rejection often make professional handling the more economical path. For an estimate based on your specific situation, use our trademark fee calculator or reach out directly.

In short: the Schedule 1(c) form is the foundation of your trademark rights in Nepal. Fill it accurately for one NICE class at a time, attach four perfect specimens and a properly notarised PoA, and get the goods description right. Do that, and you lock in a priority date under Nepal's first-to-file system — the first and most critical step toward a seven-year, renewable registration certificate.

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Ready to file your Schedule 1(c) and lock in your priority date? Search existing marks to check for conflicts, use our AI NICE Classifier to confirm your class, or speak with us about preparing and submitting your application — we will make sure every field is correct before it reaches the DoI examiner. This article provides general guidance, not legal advice; for advice specific to your mark, contact a qualified IP professional.