Trademark Class 15 in Nepal — Musical Instruments (What It Covers & How to File)

A Class 15 trademark in Nepal protects a brand for musical instruments, their parts and their accessories, from madals and bamboo flutes to guitars, keyboards, strings and singing bowls. Amplifiers and recordings are Class 9, sheet music Class 16 and lessons Class 41. IP Sewa's index holds just 57 published Class 15 marks.

Key takeaways

• The current NICE classification heading reads: musical instruments; music stands and stands for musical instruments; conductors' batons.
• Electric instruments stay in Class 15; amplifiers and effects are Class 9, sheet music 16, repairs 37 and lessons 41.
• Our index holds 57 published Class 15 marks, the second-smallest of the 45 classes; 31 were published from 2023 on.
• Only 11 have a Nepali owner address (19%), against about 60% across all classes.
• Sec. 18A(2) of the Patent, Design and Trade Mark Act 1965 requires a separate application for each class.

What does a Class 15 trademark cover in Nepal?

WIPO's current list, the 13th edition (version 2026), gives the heading as musical instruments; music stands and stands for musical instruments; conductors' batons. Its note adds mechanical instruments, musical boxes, and electrical and electronic instruments.

Parts and accessories belong here too: strings, reeds, pegs, pedals, tuning forks and rosin. Check any item on WIPO's Nice Classification page, not an old checklist.

Nepal applies the list because Sec. 18A(1) of the Act, published by the Nepal Law Commission, lets the government classify goods and services by Nepal Gazette notice. The goods you name then decide the scope.

Are madals, bansuris and singing bowls in Class 15?

Yes. The WIPO list names drums, bamboo flutes, stringed musical instruments, cymbals, gongs, harmoniums and singing bowls, which cover the madal, the bansuri, the sarangi and most of what Nepal's workshops make. The list uses no Nepali names, so describe each instrument in the list's terms, for example "drums [musical instruments]" for a madal.

Singing bowls deserve a note. Mahaguthi of Lalitpur filed KALPA BY MAHAGUTHI for singing bowls and cymbals, and a Moscow company, Surya LLC, filed HEALINGBOWL. Sold as an instrument, a singing bowl is a listed Class 15 good even when it is marketed for meditation.

Children's instruments stay here too, as "musical instruments for children"; other toys go to Class 28.

Where does Class 15 end and Class 9 begin?

The test is what the product does. A guitar, a synthesizer or a drum machine makes music, so it is Class 15 even when it runs on electricity. WIPO lists music synthesizers, drum machines and electronic musical instruments in this class.

Gear that records, transmits, amplifies or plays back sound is Class 9. WIPO's note names effects units and wah-wah pedals, audio interfaces, audio mixers, equalisers and subwoofers, plus metronomes, jukeboxes and downloadable music files.

A shop selling guitars and amplifiers under one name therefore needs both classes. Our Class 9 guide covers the electronics side.

Which other classes catch a music business?

Printed sheet music is Class 16. Lessons, concerts and music production are Class 41 services; the Class 41 guide covers schools and events.

Two traps catch makers. Instrument cases are Class 15, but "music cases" for carrying sheet music sit in Class 18. Restoration and tuning of instruments are Class 37 services, yet one Nepali Class 15 entry lists guitar repairing as its goods.

Test anything unusual with the NICE class finder and the goods and services search.

How many Class 15 marks has Nepal published?

Across 123 Industrial Property Bulletin issues, from January 2006 to 16 October 2026, our index holds 57 published Class 15 entries. That is under 0.1% of 71,842 marks, 44th of the 45 classes; only Class 13, which covers firearms, is smaller, with 16.

The class is waking up: 24 marks were published from 2006 to 2020, 31 since 2023, and the 12 latest issues carried 18 of 9,652 entries. That is more than double the long-run share.

These are IP Sewa counts of published Bulletin entries, not official statistics, and show no registration status. Browse the class with search by NICE class.

Who owns Class 15 marks in Nepal?

Mostly foreign businesses. Counted by the country in each owner's printed address, 21 of the 57 marks are Chinese and 11 Nepali, followed by Japan with 7, India 6, the United States 4 and France 3.

Every one of the 11 Nepali entries carries a Kathmandu or Lalitpur address.

Which companies hold the most Class 15 marks?

Grouping name spellings so one company counts once, Beijing New Oriental Xuncheng Network Technology leads with five, including EASTBUY. Soniya Group of Companies Pvt. Ltd. of Kathmandu follows with four BIMAL marks, level with Guangzhou Pearl River Piano Group, which filed under two forms of its name.

Yamaha and Kawai hold two each and Roland one. Well-known names from outside music file here too, including Louis Vuitton (3), Xiaomi (3), Toyota for LEXUS, Daimler and Britannia, probably to keep a famous name clear across classes. Look up any rival with the owner search.

Who are the Nepali instrument brands?

Seven Nepali owners hold the 11 local marks. Himalayan Flute Pvt. Ltd. filed BUDDHALAMAFLUTE, published in 2026, for bansuri, murali and other bamboo instruments, and Mantra Gitar Pvt. Ltd. filed MANTRA, published in 2024.

Electronics traders appear too: Rainbow Electronice Industries (as the Bulletin prints the name) holds HERTZ and TRINITY, and Unimax Electronics holds STAGE MASTER. Ten of the 11 Nepali marks combine a word with a logo, against 34 of the 57 overall.

That is a thin register for a country with a living instrument craft; our guide to protecting Nepali handicrafts covers the wider craft side.

Does a small class make the search easier?

Only partly. A Class 15 check in the published trademark search takes minutes, but 38 of the 57 entries print a reference such as "AS PER HRC" instead of a goods list, so the Bulletin often hides what a mark covers.

Look beyond the class as well. Under Sec. 18 the Department may refuse a mark that would undermine the reputation of another person's trade mark, so a well-known name in another class can still matter. Our guide on checking whether a trademark is registered covers the method, and a blank result is never clearance.

What makes an instrument brand name strong?

One that tells buyers who made the instrument, not what it is. Only 3 of the 57 Class 15 names contain a word such as flute, bowl or audio; most owners pick invented or unrelated words.

The Patent, Design and Trade Mark Act 1965 never uses the word "distinctive". Sec. 18 lets the Department refuse a mark already registered to someone else, or one that harms another mark's reputation, public morality or the national interest. Even if it passes, "Best Bamboo Flutes" gives you little to stop a rival using the same words.

How should you word Class 15 goods?

Name the instruments in the words WIPO uses: guitars, bamboo flutes, drums [musical instruments], stringed musical instruments, singing bowls, strings for musical instruments or cases for musical instruments. Avoid "musical goods" or "handicrafts" on their own, which hide what you actually make.

List the parts you sell under the brand, such as strings or picks, too. Our guide to goods versus services explains why a guitar and a guitar shop are different filings.

Why file before you sell online or export?

Title comes from registration under Sec. 16, and the first-to-file principle generally applies, so a marketplace listing shows your name to anyone who could file it first.

Under Sec. 21B a foreign registration has no force in Nepal until registered here, and a Nepali one does not protect you abroad. Nepal is outside the Madrid System, so each export market needs its own filing; IP Sewa files in Nepal only.

How do you file a Class 15 trademark in Nepal?

Filing happens at the Department of Industry, one class at a time:

1. Search the name and logo. Use the published register and the conflict checker.
2. Map the range to classes. Instruments are 15; everything else is a separate Sec. 18A filing.
3. Write the goods list. Name the instruments and parts you sell, in published wording.
4. File the application. Sec. 17 asks for the prescribed form with four specimens of the mark, plus a power of attorney where an agent files.
5. Answer examination. Under Sec. 18(1) the Department investigates and gives you a chance to be heard.
6. Watch the Bulletin. The 90-day opposition window runs from publication; act before the deadline the Department states.
7. Collect the registration certificate. Once the registration fee is paid, the Department issues it under Sec. 18(2).

Over the 12 latest issues, our records show a median filing-to-publication gap of about 3.5 months, though about one mark in six waits over two years. An unopposed mark typically takes about 12 to 14 months to certificate, 6 to 8 in the smoothest cases; treat both as guidance, not a promise. Our trademark registration service runs each stage.

What documents does a Class 15 application need?

Under current Department practice, a Nepali company provides the form, four specimens of the mark, a board resolution and, where an agent files, a notarised power of attorney. An established business adds its latest tax clearance; a new company will not have one yet, so confirm the checklist the Department of Industry publishes.

Foreign applications go through a local representative under a power of attorney, usually with a certified English copy of any home registration certificate; a Paris Convention priority claim adds a copy of the earlier filing. Costs depend on the filing; the fee calculator shows sourced, dated government fees.

How long does a Class 15 registration last?

Seven years from registration under Sec. 18D, and the mark is renewable any number of times, seven years at a time, under Sec. 23B. Renew within 35 days after expiry; a six-month late window follows on a fine, after which the registration is cancelled automatically.

Under Sec. 18C, a mark not used within one year of registration can be cancelled after inquiry, so plan the launch around it. The renewal calculator works out the dates.

Common mistakes

• Filing an amplifier or effects pedal in Class 15. Sound gear is Class 9, even when sold beside guitars.
• Treating a songbook as an instrument good. Printed music is Class 16.
• Listing repairs or tuning as goods. Those are Class 37 services.
• Writing "musical goods" or "handicrafts" as the whole list. Name the actual instruments.
• Assuming Class 15 covers the shop. Retail is Class 35.
• Ignoring a rival's new mark. The opposition window closes 90 days after publication; our opposition service can act inside it.

What does a three-class instrument brand look like?

This is an illustration, not a real case. "Taalghar", a Bhaktapur workshop, makes madals and sarangis, plans a line of small amplifiers and effects pedals, and wants to run weekend lessons under the same name.

The madals and sarangis share one Class 15 application. The amplifiers and pedals are Class 9 and the lessons are a Class 41 service, so the name needs three Nepal filings.

Filing all three before launch avoids owning the instrument but not the sound gear or the school.

In short

Class 15 is musical instruments, their parts and accessories, music stands and conductors' batons, including madals, bansuris and singing bowls. Sound gear is 9, sheet music 16, repairs 37, lessons 41 and the shop 35.

It is small and mostly foreign-owned, which leaves room for local makers who file early. Search first, avoid a descriptive name, and file before you list online. For a written view, our trademark search service weighs the conflicts.

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Making or selling instruments under one name? Contact IP Sewa and we will map your range to the right classes.