Industrial Design Process Steps in Nepal

Industrial Design Process Steps: A Practical Roadmap

13 Aug, 2026
Updated 12 Oct, 2026
Patents & Designs
IP Sewa Admin
11 min read

Industrial design process steps in Nepal begin with a complete application at the Department of Industry (DoI), followed by examination, publication, a 35-day opposition period, registration and an industrial design certificate. The Patent, Design and Trademark Act 1965 protects a registered product appearance for five years, with renewal available.

Key Takeaways

The DoI registers industrial designs under the Patent, Design and Trademark Act 1965, using a first-to-file system that rewards an early valid filing. A typical unopposed design registration Nepal case takes about 12–14 months, while the fastest straightforward cases may finish in 6–8 months.

Industrial design protection covers the visual appearance of a product, not its technical working method.
Nepal is first-to-file, so filing before public launch, exhibition or copying is usually the safer course.
Clear drawings are central because they show exactly what the industrial design certificate protects.
The DoI examines novelty, originality and formal filing requirements before publication.
Any interested person may oppose a published design within 35 days in the Industrial Property Bulletin.
A registered industrial design lasts five years and may be renewed for further terms.
Nepal is outside the Hague System, so foreign owners need a direct DoI design filing through a Nepal-based representative.

Industrial design process steps in Nepal run from a complete DoI design filing through examination, Bulletin publication, opposition and the certificate.

What does industrial design registration protect in Nepal?

Industrial design registration protects the new visual features of an article through the DoI under the Patent, Design and Trademark Act 1965. The right lasts five years from registration and is renewable. It covers appearance, such as shape, configuration, pattern or ornament, rather than a product’s technical function.

Think of a carved chair profile, the surface pattern on handmade ceramic tiles, or the distinctive outer shell of a kitchen appliance. If customers recognise and choose the item because of that look, design protection may matter.

A patent protects how an invention works. A trademark protects a source sign, such as a wordmark, logo or brand name. An industrial design protects how the article looks. One product can sometimes need all three rights, but each has a different purpose and filing route.

The law does not give a monopoly over a broad idea such as “a modern lamp” or “a round bottle.” Your drawings and claim identify the particular appearance you seek to protect. That is why careful representation work is not a formality.

Who should file a design registration Nepal application?

Manufacturers, designers, artisans and product businesses should file with the DoI before market release if a product’s appearance is commercially distinctive. Under Nepal’s first-to-file approach, the earlier valid application has a major advantage. Foreign applicants file directly through a Nepal-based agent because Nepal is not in the Hague System.

Design registration suits furniture makers, packaging producers, textile businesses, consumer-goods brands, jewellery workshops and equipment manufacturers. It can also suit a startup that has developed a recognisable casing or container but has no new technical invention to patent.

A common mistake we see is treating a company registration at the Office of the Company Registrar (OCR) as product-design protection. OCR records a business entity; it does not grant industrial design rights. Likewise, placing “TM” beside a product name does not protect its physical appearance.

If the product is already public, seek practical advice quickly. Public disclosure can affect novelty and makes a first-to-file race harder. Our team can help you assess whether an industrial design registration service fits the product and filing position.

Do NICE classes apply to industrial design filings in Nepal?

NICE Classification classes do not govern an industrial design filing at the DoI because NICE is the 45-class system used for trademark goods and services. A design application instead identifies the specific article and its visual representations. Trademark registration remains separate, with one application required for each NICE class.

This distinction matters for businesses that want both business-name protection and product-design protection. For example, a cookware business may register its brand name in relevant trademark classes while filing a design application for a distinctive pan handle or packaging shape.

Right	What it protects	Key filing focus in Nepal
Industrial design	Product appearance: shape, pattern, configuration or ornament	Clear drawings and an originality claim filed at the DoI
Trademark	Brand name, logo, wordmark or other source sign	NICE Classification; one application for each class
Patent	New and useful product or process features	Technical specification and claims

If your concern is the product’s name or logo, use the Nepal trademark database search and the NICE class finder as starting points. Those tools do not replace a design novelty review.

How do you complete the industrial design process steps?

You complete industrial design process steps by preparing the design evidence, filing at the DoI, answering examination points and waiting through publication. The DoI publishes an accepted design in the Industrial Property Bulletin, where interested persons receive 35 days to object before registration can proceed.

Check the product and filing timing. Identify the article to be protected and consider whether it has been shown publicly. Preserve dated sketches, prototypes and design-development records.
Review novelty and existing products. Search relevant market material and published DoI records where available. A search cannot guarantee registration, but it helps reveal close earlier designs and weak points.
Prepare consistent representations. Produce four copies of the design and maps or drawings, including plan, elevation and side views. The views should show the same article, proportions and visual features.
Prepare the application package. Include the prescribed form, originality claim, authority documents and any priority or foreign-registration material that applies to your case.
File with the Department of Industry. Submit a complete DoI design filing and retain the filing acknowledgement. The filing date is critical in a first-to-file system.
Address examination and publication. The DoI checks novelty, originality and formal compliance. If accepted, it publishes the design; an opposition can then be filed within 35 days.
Complete registration. If there is no valid objection, or an objection is resolved, complete the registration requirements and obtain the industrial design certificate.

The DoI is the registering authority and handles industrial-property matters. You can review information published by the Department of Industry, but case-specific filing strategy needs careful review rather than assumptions from a generic form.

Which documents are needed for a DoI design filing?

A DoI design filing requires the prescribed application, a notarised Power of Attorney and four copies of design drawings showing plan, elevation and side views. The DoI also requires a notarised originality claim. Priority and foreign-registration documents apply where a foreign applicant relies on them.

Application form: The prescribed filing form identifying the applicant and the article.
Power of Attorney: Notarised, signed and sealed by the applicant, with attestation by two witnesses where required.
Design representations: Four copies of the design and maps or drawings, showing plan, elevation and side views.
Originality claim: A notarised statement explaining the original visual features claimed.
Priority material: A notarised or certified English copy of the earlier filing receipt or application, if claiming priority under the Paris Convention.
Foreign registration material: A notarised or certified English copy of the home design registration certificate, where applicable.

Drawings and the originality claim define the design being filed, while authority and priority documents support a valid DoI application.

What happens during examination, publication and opposition?

The DoI examines a design for novelty, originality and filing compliance before publishing an accepted application in the Industrial Property Bulletin. Publication opens a 35-day opposition period for interested persons. If no valid opposition succeeds, the DoI can register the design and issue the industrial design certificate.

An opposition is a formal objection, often based on an alleged earlier design, lack of originality or another reason the application should not proceed. It is not the same as a casual complaint. Once contested, the matter can need evidence and a response, which can extend the normal timetable.

Read the official legal text through the Nepal Law Commission and obtain advice for a live dispute. This article is general information, not legal advice. For help responding to a challenge or protecting an existing right, our team can assist through opposition and enforcement support.

How long does design registration take and what affects cost?

Unopposed design registration Nepal applications typically take about 12–14 months from filing to certificate, although the smoothest straightforward matters can take 6–8 months. Government charges and professional work both affect the total. The design’s complexity, document condition, amendments and any opposition can increase time and cost.

Plan for the full DoI design registration sequence, not merely the 35-day opposition period, when timing a product launch.

Cost is not just an application charge. It may include representation preparation, notarisation, priority-document work, government filing and registration stages, responses to examination, and handling an opposition if one arises. Use the IP Sewa tools for preliminary planning, then ask our team for a current case-specific figure.

Which mistakes weaken product-design protection in Nepal?

The most damaging mistake is disclosing a product design before a DoI filing, because novelty and first-to-file priority are central under the 1965 Act. Other common errors include inconsistent drawings, vague originality claims and treating trademark registration as design protection. Registration lasts five years, so renewal planning also matters.

Imagine “Himal Form,” a hypothetical Pokhara maker of stackable brass tea-light holders. Its product has a distinctive twisted rim, geometric cut-outs and a tapered base. If it files only a trademark for the name Himalayan Glow, competitors may still copy the holder’s shape. A design application should show the protected visual combination clearly from each required view.

Do not hide a missing feature in one drawing or use photographs that leave the examiner guessing about proportions. Do not claim every feature of a common product as original. Be precise about what gives the article its new appearance. If the function itself is new, compare the position with industrial design versus patent protection in Nepal.

For foreign owners, a home registration does not automatically cover Nepal. Nepal is a Paris Convention member, so priority may be relevant, but Nepal is not part of the Hague System. Direct national filing through a Nepal-based representative remains necessary.

In short

Protect product design in Nepal by filing early, presenting consistent drawings and treating the DoI examination and 35-day Bulletin opposition window seriously. An industrial design certificate protects visual appearance for five years, renewable in further terms. It does not replace a trademark, patent or OCR company registration.

People also search for

These related Nepal guides explain design filing, renewals, product packaging and the boundary between design rights, patents, trademarks and copyright. Each topic connects to a different decision in the DoI process, from preparing drawings to maintaining an industrial design certificate after registration.

Start by checking your product’s protection plan, then speak with our team about industrial design filing support. For practical next steps, contact IP Sewa and review the Nepal trademark database if your product also needs brand-name protection.

#intellectual property #doi #industrial design #design registration

Frequently asked questions

File the prescribed application and design documents with the Department of Industry (DoI). The DoI examines whether the design is new and original, then publishes an accepted application. Others have 35 days to oppose it. If no valid objection succeeds, the DoI registers the design and issues a certificate.

Industrial design registration protects the visual appearance of a product, such as its shape, pattern, ornament, packaging form, or surface decoration. It does not protect the product’s technical function, business name, or invention. Those may need trademark or patent protection under Nepal’s Patent, Design and Trademark Act 1965.

Industrial design applications are filed with the Department of Industry, or DoI, which is Nepal’s registrar for designs, patents, and trademarks. The DoI reviews the application, publishes accepted designs, handles objections, and grants the registration certificate. A complete filing is important because Nepal follows a first-to-file approach.

You generally need the prescribed application form, a notarised Power of Attorney, and four copies of the design drawings or representations. The drawings should show plan, elevation, and side views. You also need a notarised originality claim and, where relevant, priority or foreign registration documents in English.

An unopposed industrial design application typically takes about 12–14 months from filing to registration in Nepal. In the smoothest cases, it may finish in around 6–8 months. Delays can arise from incomplete drawings, examination questions, publication timing, or an opposition filed after publication in the Industrial Property Bulletin.

Yes. Once the Department of Industry accepts and publishes a design application, any interested person can file an objection within 35 days from publication. An objection may challenge whether the design is new or original. The DoI considers the objection before deciding whether to grant or refuse registration.

It is safer to file before publicly showing, selling, advertising, or widely sharing the design. The DoI examines novelty and originality, and earlier public disclosure can create problems. Nepal is a first-to-file system, so an earlier complete application can place another applicant in a stronger position than a later filer.

A registered industrial design is valid for five years in Nepal and can be renewed for further terms. Renewal should be filed within 35 days of the expiry date to avoid losing the right. Keep the certificate, registration date, and renewal calendar carefully recorded for every protected design.

Yes. A foreign company can apply directly through Nepal’s national system at the Department of Industry. Nepal is not part of the Hague System, so an international design registration does not automatically protect Nepal. Foreign applicants usually provide a notarised Power of Attorney and relevant home-country registration or priority documents.

The total cost depends on the application work, quality and number of drawings, document notarisation, responses to examination, and whether an objection arises. Government charges and professional service charges are separate. Use the Fee Calculator at /tools for guidance, or contact IP Sewa through /contact for a case-specific estimate.