Logo, Wordmark or Icon: What to Register First

For most businesses, register the wordmark first in Nepal. A wordmark protects your brand name without tying it to one logo style, while the Department of Industry (DoI) handles registration under the Patent, Design and Trademark Act 1965 (PDTA). An unopposed application typically takes about 12–14 months.

Key Takeaways

Choose the mark that protects the business asset you will use most: usually the name. Under the PDTA and DoI practice, each application covers one mark in one NICE class, publication opens a 90-day opposition period, and a registered trademark lasts seven years before renewal is due.

• Register the wordmark first if customers mainly know and ask for your business by its name.
• A wordmark is the brand name in plain text; it is usually more flexible than one fixed logo design.
• A logo application protects the submitted visual arrangement, including its stylised text and graphic elements.
• An icon can be valuable where customers recognise a symbol without seeing the business name.
• Nepal is first-to-file, so an early valid DoI application matters more than proving earlier market use.
• One trademark application covers one NICE class, so goods and services may require separate filings.
• Use ® only after the DoI has issued a registration certificate; TM can signal a claimed mark before registration.

What should you register first: a logo, wordmark or icon?

Register the wordmark first where your name is the main customer signal. The PDTA defines a trademark broadly as a word, symbol, picture or combination under Sec. 2(c), but the DoI assesses the mark actually filed. A wordmark is usually the clearest first step for brand registration Nepal.

A wordmark is the name written as words rather than a particular artistic presentation. If your café is called “Himal Brew,” a wordmark application seeks protection for those words for the selected goods or services. You can change the typeface on menus, packaging, signs, or a website without abandoning the core verbal identity you filed.

A logo may include the name, a drawing, a colour arrangement, or all three. It can be a strong second filing when customers identify the artwork as well as the name. An icon, also called a device mark, is a standalone symbol: think of a distinctive mountain outline, leaf, or monogram used without text.

There is no automatic “whole brand” registration. A wordmark application and a logo application are different filings if you want separate registered rights in both. You may instead file only a combined logo, but that choice should be deliberate because it focuses the application on that combined visual presentation.

Why does first-to-file make the wordmark urgent in Nepal?

Nepal follows first-to-file, meaning rights follow the first valid DoI application rather than the first person to use a name. Sec. 16 links trademark title to registration, so waiting for perfect artwork can leave the name exposed while your business builds recognition in the market.

This is the practical reason not to postpone filing until every social-media template is complete. Search and file the name you intend to use. If it is clear enough to proceed, file it in the right class. You can finalise the logo later and make a separate decision about whether that visual asset deserves protection.

First-to-file does not mean every early application succeeds. The DoI can refuse a mark that conflicts with an earlier registered mark, damages another mark’s goodwill, or falls within other refusal grounds under Sec. 18. A clearance search before filing is still essential.

How do wordmarks, logos and icons differ in a DoI application?

The DoI examines wordmarks, logos and icons as the marks shown in their applications, using Sec. 18 standards on registrability and conflict. A wordmark identifies words, while a logo or icon depends more heavily on its depicted visual features. Each can be registered if it distinguishes your goods or services.

Do not assume a logo filing gives the same position as a plain-name filing. If the name is prominent in your trade, a separate wordmark makes the record easier to understand and search. Conversely, a genuinely distinctive icon may justify its own filing where people identify your goods by the symbol alone.

In practice, searches for words are easier than searches for figurative elements. Use the public Nepal trademark database search for identical and similar names, then consider professional review for close phonetic spellings, translations, and visually similar branding. A graphic design may look original yet still create a conflict with an earlier visual mark.

Which NICE classes apply to a name, logo or icon?

The NICE Classification divides goods and services into 45 classes: Classes 1–34 cover goods and Classes 35–45 cover services. Under Sec. 18A, Nepal requires a separate trademark application for each class, whether you file a wordmark, logo or icon with the DoI.

The mark type does not decide the class; what you sell or provide does. A restaurant brand may need Class 43 for restaurant services. If it also sells packaged tea, spices, or ready-to-eat products under the same name, the relevant goods may sit in other classes. A clothing label and its retail service can similarly need more than one class.

Start with what you sell now and what you will launch soon, not every possible business activity. An overly broad plan can add unnecessary work, while an overly narrow plan can leave a key product uncovered. Use the NICE class finder for Nepal filings to check likely classes before setting your filing plan.

How do you register a wordmark or logo in Nepal?

File the selected mark with the DoI after checking conflicts and choosing NICE classes. The process runs from application through examination, Industrial Property Bulletin publication, a 90-day opposition window, registration and certificate. Sec. 17 governs filing, while Sec. 21A addresses publication of registered trademark matters.

1. Clear the name and design. Search exact names, sound-alikes, spelling variants, and close competitors. For a major launch, obtain a written review through a professional trademark clearance service.
2. Choose the mark format. Decide whether you are filing plain words, a finished logo, an icon, or separate applications for more than one of them.
3. Select the right NICE class or classes. Make one filing plan for each class where you need protection.
4. Prepare and file the application. Submit the prescribed form, mark label and supporting documents to the DoI. The application fixes your filing position.
5. Respond during examination. The DoI checks registrability and earlier conflicts. If questions arise, respond clearly and within the requested time.
6. Wait through publication and opposition. A qualifying mark is published in the Industrial Property Bulletin, where another party may oppose within 90 days.
7. Complete registration. If no opposition succeeds, the DoI registers the mark and issues the registration certificate.

Which documents are needed for logo or wordmark registration?

Domestic applicants generally submit the application form, trademark label, notarised Power of Attorney, company board resolution, industry certificate and latest tax clearance evidence to the DoI. Foreign applicants use a Nepal-based representative and provide notarised corporate and home-registration documents where applicable, including priority materials in English.

For a wordmark, the label should show the words you want registered. For a logo or icon, submit a clear version of the exact artwork. Do not casually replace a filed logo with a redesigned one midway through the process. If the brand identity changes materially, a fresh application may be the safer route.

Foreign businesses should also remember that Nepal is not in the Madrid System. A foreign registration does not automatically protect a mark here. Nepal is a member of the Paris Convention and TRIPS framework, but foreign owners still need a direct national filing through a local representative.

How long does wordmark and logo registration take in Nepal?

An unopposed trademark registration in Nepal typically takes about 12–14 months from filing to certificate at the DoI. The smoothest straightforward cases may finish in about 6–8 months, but publication and the mandatory 90-day opposition period mean that faster result is not the normal expectation.

Plan your launch around that reality. You can use your proposed brand while the application is pending, but do not describe it as registered or use ® until the certificate is issued. Use TM carefully as a market notice, not as proof that the DoI has granted rights.

What affects the cost of registering a logo and wordmark?

Trademark registration Nepal costs depend on the number of marks, NICE classes and DoI stages involved, plus professional preparation and response work. A wordmark and logo filed separately are separate applications, while foreign filings can require extra formalities. Registration is valid for seven years under Sec. 18D and then renewable.

A practical budget choice is to protect the wordmark in the class that matters most, then add the logo once it is commercially stable. Do not choose only on initial cost if an icon is central to packaging or an app. Check the current class-based estimate with the trademark fee calculator before filing.

Which legal rules govern logo and wordmark protection in Nepal?

The Patent, Design and Trademark Act 1965 governs trademarks through the DoI, with Sec. 2(c) defining marks, Sec. 16 addressing title through registration, Sec. 18A requiring separate classes, and Sec. 18D setting the seven-year term. The official Nepal Law Commission publishes legal materials.

The DoI is both the registering authority and a quasi-judicial industrial-property body for trademark protection and enforcement. Its official information is available through the Department of Industry. A registration can be renewed in further seven-year terms, but a registered mark should also be put into genuine use; Sec. 18C permits cancellation where it is not used within one year of registration.

What mistakes should brand owners avoid before filing?

Common errors are filing only a combined logo, selecting the wrong NICE class, skipping conflict checks, and treating business registration as trademark registration. The Office of the Company Registrar (OCR) records a company or business entity, while the DoI registers trademarks. These are separate forms of protection with different legal functions.

Imagine a Pokhara coffee business called “Sajilo Sip.” It files only a circular logo containing those words and later changes to a simple text label. If the name is its real commercial asset, filing “SAJILO SIP” as a wordmark in the relevant class first would usually give it a cleaner foundation. It could then register the circle-and-cup logo after the design becomes final.

Another common mistake is assuming a company name, domain name, Facebook page, or prior use settles availability. None replaces a DoI trademark search. Check the name before printing cups, labels, uniforms, and shop signs. If an earlier mark looks close, get advice before committing to the brand.

When should you file a logo or icon before the wordmark?

File a logo or icon first only where the visual symbol is your principal identifier, is already final, and can distinguish your goods or services under Sec. 18. The DoI still examines conflicts and publishes the application, so a visual-first strategy does not avoid the normal 90-day opposition process.

This can happen with a distinctive mobile-app icon, a packaging emblem used independently of the brand name, or a well-established family symbol. It may also make sense to file wordmark and icon applications at the same time if both will be used heavily and your launch budget allows.

A combined mark may be sensible for a very small business that always presents its name with one stable symbol. Still, understand the trade-off: changing the artwork later may leave the registered version behind. This article is general information, not legal advice; our team can assess your mark and filing order through a Nepal trademark consultation.

In short: register your brand name as a wordmark first in the class that drives your business, then add a logo or icon when it is distinctive, final, and commercially important. File early, search carefully, and treat every mark-class combination as its own DoI filing decision.

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These related Nepal trademark questions cover registration, logo protection, classification and the difference between registered and unregistered marks under the DoI process.

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Start by searching Nepal’s existing trademarks, then use our trademark registration service or contact our team for help choosing whether your wordmark, logo or icon should be filed first.