Trademark Class 39 in Nepal covers transport, packaging and storage of goods, and travel arrangement services. You file with the Department of Industry (DoI) under the Patent, Design and Trademark Act 1965 (PDTA); an unopposed application typically takes about 12–14 months from filing to registration certificate.
Key Takeaways
Class 39 protects the service identity of transport, travel arrangement and logistics businesses in Nepal. The DoI applies the NICE Classification across 45 classes, and Nepal requires a separate trademark application for each class under Sec. 18A. A registration lasts seven years and can be renewed.
- Class 39 covers moving people or goods, warehousing, packaging, courier delivery and travel arrangement.
- Travel agencies commonly need Class 39, but guided tours fall in Class 41 and hotel booking falls in Class 43.
- Vehicle repair belongs in Class 37, while electronic data storage belongs in Class 42.
- Nepal is first-to-file, so the first valid Class 39 application normally has the stronger position.
- One Nepali trademark application covers one NICE class only, even where the same wordmark is used widely.
- The DoI publishes accepted marks in the Industrial Property Bulletin before issuing a registration certificate.
What does trademark Class 39 cover in Nepal?
Class 39 covers transport, packaging and storage of goods, and travel arrangement under the NICE Classification used by the DoI. It protects a service mark used for moving people, animals or cargo, arranging journeys, storing physical goods, or delivering parcels. It does not protect every activity of a travel business.
The practical question is what your customer pays you to do. If you carry a passenger from Kathmandu to Pokhara, arrange an airport transfer, send a parcel to Biratnagar, operate a warehouse, or arrange transport for a trek, Class 39 is likely relevant.
It can cover transport by road, rail, air, water or pipeline. It also includes freight forwarding, transport brokerage, towing, car rental, parking, vehicle sharing, courier work, luggage storage, removal services and transport information. Physical storage of electronically stored documents may also fit, but cloud or electronic data storage is usually Class 42.
Which Class 39 services should transport and travel businesses name?
Applicants should name the Class 39 services they genuinely provide, because the DoI examines the stated specification with the mark. Common wording includes transport of travellers, courier services, freight forwarding, warehousing, travel reservation, vehicle rental and transportation logistics. The NICE Classification has 45 classes, of which Class 39 is a services class.
- Passenger transport: taxi transport, bus transport, chauffeur services, car rental, airport transfers and transport for sightseeing.
- Freight and delivery: courier services, parcel delivery, freight, haulage, cargo unloading, transport brokerage and freight forwarding.
- Warehousing: storage of goods, rental of warehouses, luggage storage, refrigerated storage and rental of storage containers.
- Travel arrangement: travel reservation, booking of seats for travel, arranging cruises, travel-document arrangements and transport arrangements for travel tours.
- Related logistics: packaging and wrapping goods, tracking cargo for transport purposes, removal services and guarded transport of valuables.
A broad label such as “logistics services” may not explain your actual offering well enough. In practice, a courier should state courier and parcel-delivery services, while a freight company should consider freight forwarding, storage and transport brokerage where those are real parts of its operation.
Which classes are commonly confused with NICE Class 39?
Class 39 covers transport and travel arrangement, but neighbouring NICE classes protect different commercial activities. The DoI requires separate applications under Sec. 18A, so a Class 39 registration cannot automatically cover vehicle repair, guided trekking or accommodation booking. Mapping the service before filing prevents a narrow registration.
| What your business does | Likely NICE class | Why it differs |
|---|---|---|
| Advertises transport or tourism services | Class 35 | Advertising and business promotion are separate services. |
| Insures cargo, vehicles or travel | Class 36 | Insurance is a financial service, not transport. |
| Repairs or maintains vehicles | Class 37 | Repair work is distinct from vehicle transport or rental. |
| Leads guided tours or trekking activities | Class 41 | Conducting recreational and educational tours is Class 41. |
| Stores digital files online | Class 42 | Electronic data storage differs from physical goods storage. |
| Books hotels or provides accommodation | Class 43 | Temporary accommodation and hotel reservations sit in Class 43. |
A common mistake we see is treating a trekking package as one service. It may involve transport arrangements in Class 39, guided activities in Class 41, and lodge reservation in Class 43. Each part should be assessed on what you actually market under the brand.
Who should file a transport trademark in Class 39?
Class 39 is suitable for businesses whose brand identifies transport, delivery, storage or travel-arrangement services in Nepal. This includes airlines, bus operators, taxi platforms, trekking agencies, travel agencies, couriers, warehouse operators, freight forwarders and removal companies. The DoI registers the wordmark, logo or combined mark for the services specified.
It can also matter to a marketplace that operates its own delivery network, a cold-chain operator storing produce, or a company managing cargo transport at a border point. Registration protects the mark, not the business idea or route system. A logo and a wordmark may require separate filing decisions if both are commercially important.
Before committing to a name, use the public Nepal trademark database search for exact and similar marks in Class 39 and nearby classes. A database result is a starting point, not a legal clearance opinion; spelling, sound, visual similarity and overlapping services all matter.
How do you register a Class 39 trademark in Nepal?
You register a Class 39 trade mark by filing a one-class application with the Department of Industry, which examines it under the PDTA before publication. If the mark passes the Industrial Property Bulletin opposition period, the DoI registers it and issues a certificate. Sec. 17 and Sec. 18 govern application and registration.
- Check availability. Search identical and similar brand names, logos and relevant Class 39 services. Consider Classes 41 and 43 too if you sell combined travel packages.
- Choose the mark and services. Decide whether to file a wordmark, logo or both, then prepare a clear Class 39 specification matching your actual services.
- Prepare filing documents. Gather the application, mark label, business records and authority documents required for the applicant type.
- File at the DoI. The application fixes the filing date, which is critical in Nepal’s first-to-file system.
- Respond during examination. The DoI may assess distinctiveness and conflicts with earlier registered marks or applications.
- Wait for Bulletin publication. An accepted mark is published in the Industrial Property Bulletin for a 90-day opposition window.
- Obtain the certificate. If no opposition succeeds, registration is completed and the DoI issues the registration certificate.
Which documents are needed for a Class 39 filing?
Domestic applicants generally submit the prescribed application, trademark label, notarised Power of Attorney, company board resolution, industry certificate and current tax-clearance record. Foreign applicants file through a Nepal-based representative and generally need authority documents and evidence of home registration. Priority documents are needed where a Paris Convention priority claim is made.
Document requirements can differ based on whether the owner is an individual, a Nepali company or an overseas company. The mark label should accurately show the version you want registered. Do not casually replace a logo after filing; material changes can create problems with the original application.
How long does Class 39 registration take and how long does it last?
An unopposed Class 39 application typically takes about 12–14 months from filing to certificate at the DoI. A smooth, straightforward case may finish in about 6–8 months, but that is the favourable outcome rather than the normal expectation. The registered mark lasts seven years from registration and is renewable in further seven-year terms.
Publication matters because third parties have 90 days to oppose an accepted mark in the Industrial Property Bulletin. An opposition, office objection, incomplete documents or a similarity issue can extend the timeline. Once registered, renewal should be planned well before expiry; a missed renewal can put a valuable brand at risk.
What affects the cost of a Class 39 trademark application?
Class 39 filing costs depend on the number of classes, the applicant type, the mark format, search work and whether examination or opposition issues arise. Nepal uses a one-class-per-application system under Sec. 18A, so Class 39, Class 41 and Class 43 each require their own filing. Government and professional charges are separate.
A clean wordmark with a focused service list is usually simpler than a disputed logo application spanning several classes. For a current estimate, use the trademark fee calculator or ask our team through IP Sewa’s contact page. This article is general information, not legal advice for a specific filing.
What Class 39 mistakes can weaken a travel or logistics brand?
The biggest Class 39 mistake is filing for an industry label instead of the services actually sold, then assuming one registration covers every part of the business. The DoI assesses the application under the PDTA, and registration does not extend to services outside its class. Early searching is essential in Nepal’s first-to-file system.
- Filing Class 39 only for a brand that also conducts guided tours, books hotels or advertises for others.
- Using a descriptive name such as “Fast Courier Nepal” without assessing whether it is distinctive enough.
- Ignoring similar spellings, translations, logos or sound-alike earlier marks.
- Listing services your company does not provide while missing freight forwarding, warehousing or travel reservation services it does provide.
- Using ® before registration. Use of a registered-mark claim should follow actual registration.
- Waiting until a competitor has filed a similar travel logistics class 39 mark first.
A professional search can examine the mark in context, including related services and likely conflict points. If your brand is central to a courier, transport or tourism launch, our trademark search and clearance team can help assess the filing position before you commit to packaging, vehicles or advertising.
How does a Nepal travel-business example map across classes?
Imagine “Himal Route Services,” a Kathmandu-based business arranging jeep transfers, domestic flights and cargo movement for trekking clients. Its transport trademark belongs in Class 39 for passenger transport, freight handling and travel arrangement. If it also leads trekking groups or books lodges, the DoI requires separate Class 41 and Class 43 applications.
The same brand could appear on vehicles, an app, invoices and staff uniforms, but those uses do not change the service classification. The owner should select the classes from the services customers receive. If it sells branded bags or outdoor clothing, goods classes may also be relevant, which is a separate exercise.
In short
Trademark Class 39 Nepal protects transport, travel arrangement, delivery, storage and logistics services through registration at the DoI. File early, choose precise Class 39 wording and add Classes 41 or 43 where your travel business genuinely guides tours or books accommodation. Registration under the PDTA gives a renewable seven-year registered-mark right.
- Use Class 39 for moving, storing, delivering or arranging travel.
- Add Class 41 for guided tours and recreational travel activities.
- Add Class 43 for accommodation services and hotel reservations.
- Search before filing because Nepal follows first-to-file rules.
People also search for
These related Nepal trademark guides explain classification, brand protection and filing choices that often arise alongside a Class 39 application. They use the same NICE framework applied by the Department of Industry and can help you plan a multi-class filing before submitting a mark for registration.
- What is the NICE Classification for trademarks in Nepal?
- How do I choose the right trademark class in Nepal?
- What is the difference between goods and services classes?
- How do hotels and travel businesses protect a brand in Nepal?
- What is a trademark in Nepal?
- What can be trademarked in Nepal?
- What is the brand protection checklist for a new Nepal business?
Start by searching your proposed transport or travel name in the Nepal trademark database, then speak with our team for Class 39 trademark registration support or request tailored filing advice for your business.
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