Trademark Class 25 in Nepal — Clothing & Footwear (What It Covers & How to File)

Trademark Class 25 in Nepal covers clothing, footwear and headwear under the Department of Industry, filed under the Patent, Design and Trademark Act 1965. A Class 25 filing protects only the goods named in that class, and Nepal follows first-to-file, so the first valid application matters more than first use.

Key Takeaways

• Class 25 is the fashion class for clothing, footwear and headwear, including shirts, shoes, caps, shawls and ready-made garments.
• A finished garment is Class 25, but the fabric it is made from is usually Class 24.
• Nepal uses one class per application, so a brand that sells clothing and fabric needs separate filings.
• Fashion brands often need related classes too, especially Class 24, Class 26, Class 18 and sometimes Class 35.
• The Department of Industry examines, publishes and registers the mark, then issues the registration certificate.
• Unopposed filings usually take about 12–14 months in practice, with 6–8 months only in the smoothest cases.

What does trademark class 25 cover in Nepal?

Class 25 covers clothing, footwear and headwear. In plain terms, it is the class for finished things people wear: shirts, trousers, dresses, jackets, shoes, boots, sandals, caps, hats, scarves, shawls, uniforms and sportswear. If the item is worn on the body, Class 25 is often the starting point.

The key line is simple. A finished garment is Class 25, but the fabric it is made from is usually Class 24. That matters in Nepal because many brands sell both the sewn product and the textile itself. A pashmina label, for example, may need Class 25 for shawls and Class 24 for cloth.

What does Class 25 not cover?

Class 25 has clear borders, and many brand owners mix them up. Buttons, zips and other fastenings belong in Class 26. Protective or medical apparel belongs outside Class 25 as well. Sports gear such as skates or boxing gloves is not clothing, and textile goods are not the same as finished wearables.

That boundary matters because a weak class choice can leave part of your brand exposed. If you file only in Class 25, you do not automatically protect fabric, accessories, retail services or unrelated sports goods. The table below shows the most common mix-ups for clothing and footwear brands in Nepal.

Who should file Class 25 in Nepal?

Any business selling wearables under its own brand should look at Class 25. That includes garment exporters, readymade clothing labels, footwear makers, pashmina and knitwear brands, school-uniform makers, and sellers of traditional wear such as dhaka topi, saris, shawls and jackets. Fashion is brand-led, and copycats move fast.

If your business name appears on the label, hang tag, shoe tongue or packaging, you need trademark protection for that mark. A strong clothing trademark makes it easier to stop look-alike brands from using a confusingly similar name. For a clearance-first approach, our team can help with a trademark search service and the public trademark database search.

Which other NICE classes should a clothing brand consider?

Class 25 is usually only one piece of the filing plan. Nepal uses one application per class, so a brand that sells fabric, bags and retail services needs separate filings. That is normal. The smart move is to map the whole business first, not just the sewn garment or shoe you manufacture today.

Use this rule of thumb: if you manufacture the textile, add Class 24; if you sell bags or leather goods, add Class 18; if you make trims or fasteners, add Class 26; if you operate a shop, e-commerce store or showroom, add Class 35. The NICE class finder is a useful starting point.

How do you register a Class 25 trademark in Nepal?

Class 25 filing follows the same Nepal process as other trademarks: search first, file once the class is right, wait for examination, then pass through publication and opposition before registration. Because Nepal is first-to-file, a quick decision matters. If someone else files first, your earlier use will not save you.

For a fashion brand, the clean route is to clear the mark before you print labels, sign distributors or launch ads. Our team can help you choose the class, prepare the filing and handle prosecution through the Department of Industry. If you need support, start with trademark registration service.

1. Check existing marks for the same or similar clothing brand name, logo or wordmark.
2. Confirm that the goods really belong in Class 25, and add other classes if needed.
3. Prepare the application, the mark specimen and the goods list for filing at the Department of Industry.
4. Wait for examination, publication in the Industrial Property Bulletin and the 90-day opposition period.
5. If no opposition survives, receive the registration certificate and keep the renewal date in view.

What documents do you need for a Class 25 filing?

The document set is simple on paper, but it must be accurate. You usually need the application form, a clear representation of the wordmark or logo, applicant details, and company papers if the owner is a business. Foreign applicants also need a Nepal-based representative, because Nepal does not use Madrid filings for trademarks.

If you are a company, keep your board authorisation and registration documents ready. If you are filing from abroad, the home registration papers and power of attorney matter more. A clean file reduces back-and-forth at the DoI. If you want a checklist before filing, use our contact page and our team can help you prepare it.

How long does Class 25 registration take?

The realistic base timeline is about 12–14 months when the application is smooth and nobody opposes it. In the best straightforward cases, the process can move faster, but that is not the standard you should plan around. If there is an objection, the timeline extends because the DoI must hear and decide it.

For clothing brands, time often depends on how early you clear the mark and how clean the filing is. A simple application with the right class, the right goods wording and the right ownership details moves better than a rushed filing. If you are already late to market, that makes clearance even more important.

What drives the cost of a Class 25 filing?

The total cost is shaped by the number of classes, the amount of work your filing needs, and whether the mark runs into objections. Government fees and professional fees are separate, and the class structure means each extra class adds work. That is why a simple logo filing is different from a full brand package.

Cost also changes with the shape of the matter. A fresh local filing is simpler than a foreign filing with a Nepal representative. A clean one-class clothing mark is simpler than a fashion brand that also needs Class 24, Class 18 and Class 35. If you want a current estimate, use the fee calculator or contact our team.

What is the legal basis for Class 25 in Nepal?

The legal backbone is the Patent, Design and Trademark Act 1965, together with the Nice Classification used in trademark practice. The Department of Industry is the registrar in Nepal, and the class system follows the international goods-and-services structure maintained by WIPO. You can also review the public record at the Department of Industry.

For trademarks, the important rules are first-to-file, one class per application, publication in the Industrial Property Bulletin, a 90-day opposition window, and a renewable seven-year term. The Act’s class and publication rules, along with renewal, sit with the national law text available through the Nepal Law Commission.

What mistakes do fashion brands make most often?

The most common mistake is filing the fabric, not the finished clothing. Another is assuming one filing protects everything in a fashion business. It does not. A shirt brand, a textile mill, a retail shop and a bag line can all need different class coverage, even when the same brand name sits on each product.

Other mistakes are more basic. Some brands wait until after launch, then discover someone else filed first. Others skip a proper search and end up fighting a similar mark. Many forget that Nepal publishes the mark before registration, so opposition can still appear. For that reason, a proper conflict check saves pain later, and opposition support sits under our opposition and enforcement service.

• Filing Class 24 when the real product is a finished garment.
• Ignoring Class 35 for retail and online clothing services.
• Using a mark that is too close to a live Nepali brand.
• Assuming first use beats a filed application.
• Forgetting to protect related products like bags, trims or fabric.

What is a realistic Nepal example for a clothing brand?

Imagine a Kathmandu label called Himal Stitch that sells hoodies, jackets and caps. Those finished goods fit Class 25. If the same business later sells its own woven cloth, it should also look at Class 24. If it opens a branded store, Class 35 becomes relevant too. One brand name can need several filings.

This is where many founders get caught. They protect the logo on the hoodie, but not the store name, the fabric line or the bag range. A smart filing plan follows the business model, not only the first product. That is why a fashion brand should think in classes, not just in items.

What if your clothing business is a border case?

Border cases are common in Nepal. Smart clothing with sensors can touch other classes. Protective workwear and medical apparel do not sit neatly inside ordinary fashion filing. A retailer that does not manufacture goods may need Class 35 more urgently than Class 25, even if the shop sells only one brand of clothes.

Foreign fashion brands should also be careful. Nepal is not in the Madrid System, so there is no automatic international route for a trademark here. The mark must be filed directly in Nepal through a local agent or representative. If you are filing from abroad, our team can help you through trademark registration and the right local process.

In short

Class 25 in Nepal is the home of clothing, footwear and headwear. It is the right class for most fashion brands, but it does not cover fabric, fasteners, bags or retail services by itself. The best filing plan is simple: clear the mark, choose the right class list, file early and keep the renewal date in mind.

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If you want to check your clothing or footwear brand before filing, start with the trademark database search, use the NICE class finder, and then speak with our team through contact or our trademark registration service. This is general information, not legal advice.