Trademark Class 44 in Nepal covers medical, beauty, veterinary, and agriculture services. You file one Class 44 application 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 44 protects care and cultivation services in Nepal, not the products used in those services. The DoI applies the 45-class NICE Classification, and a Class 44 registration lasts seven years from registration, renewable in further seven-year terms. Correct classification matters before you file.
- Class 44 includes medical, veterinary, beauty, hygiene, agriculture, aquaculture, horticulture, and forestry services.
- A clinic, dental practice, salon, spa, veterinary centre, or plant nursery can use Class 44 for its service brand.
- Medicine is generally Class 5, cosmetics are generally Class 3, and fitness training belongs in Class 41.
- Nepal requires a separate trademark application for each NICE class under Sec. 18A of the PDTA.
- The DoI examines the mark, publishes accepted applications in the Industrial Property Bulletin, then allows 90 days for opposition.
- Nepal follows first-to-file rules, so an earlier valid application usually has the stronger position.
What does trademark Class 44 cover in Nepal?
NICE Class 44 covers medical and veterinary services, hygienic and beauty care for people or animals, and agriculture, aquaculture, horticulture, and forestry services. The DoI uses the NICE Classification’s 45 classes when assessing a trademark application, so Class 44 is a service class rather than a goods class.
The key idea is active care: treating a patient, grooming an animal, cutting hair, maintaining a garden, or cultivating crops for another person. A registered mark in this class can protect a wordmark, logo, or combined name-and-logo used to identify those services.
Examples include hospital services, medical clinic services, dental care, physiotherapy, nursing, telemedicine, mental-health counselling, beauty salon services, barber shops, massage, hairdressing, veterinary assistance, pet grooming, gardening, landscape gardening, plant nurseries, pest-control services for agriculture, and tree care.
Class 44 can cover a single focused service or a broader business offering. Your application should still describe the real services you provide. “Medical services” may suit a general clinic, while “dental services” or “beauty salon services” is clearer for a specialist business.
Which services belong in NICE Class 44?
Class 44 includes services where the provider treats, cares for, beautifies, cultivates, or maintains people, animals, plants, or land. WIPO maintains the international NICE Classification, while the DoI decides whether the wording in your Nepal application properly fits Class 44 during examination.
- Medical and health services: hospitals, clinics, medical testing, nursing, physiotherapy, dentistry, optometry, vaccination, rehabilitation, counselling, and telemedicine.
- Beauty and hygiene services: salons, barber shops, hairdressing, manicures, facials, waxing, massage, tattoos, spa services, and aesthetician services.
- Veterinary and animal services: veterinary treatment, animal grooming, animal breeding, pet care, and veterinary laboratory analysis.
- Plant and land services: gardening, horticulture, plant cultivation, landscaping, tree planting, lawn care, forestry, aquaculture, and agricultural pest control.
The list is broad, but it is not unlimited. For an international reference point, review the WIPO NICE Classification resources, then match that wording to your actual Nepal business. A generic description copied from another country may not reflect what you truly offer.
What is excluded from Class 44?
Class 44 excludes goods, transport, education, accommodation, and scientific work even where they relate to health or beauty. The DoI examines each application class by class under Sec. 18A, so a clinic, salon, or agriculture business often needs another class for products or separate commercial activities.
| What you provide | Usually relevant class | Why it is different |
|---|---|---|
| Medicines, supplements, medical preparations | Class 5 | These are goods, not medical treatment services. |
| Cosmetics, shampoo, skin-care products | Class 3 | Beauty products differ from salon and spa services. |
| Fitness training or gym instruction | Class 41 | Training and sporting education are not medical care. |
| Ambulance or patient transport | Class 39 | Transport is classified separately from treatment. |
| Medical research or laboratory technology | Class 42 | Scientific and technological services have their own class. |
| Retirement accommodation | Class 43 | Temporary accommodation differs from nursing care. |
A common mistake we see is treating a salon’s retail shelf as part of its salon registration. The hair styling, facial, and spa service sit in Class 44. The branded serum, shampoo, or cosmetic sold to customers generally needs Class 3 as well.
Who should file a Class 44 trademark application?
Hospitals, clinics, dental practices, salons, spas, veterinary providers, nurseries, and agriculture-service businesses should consider Class 44 registration if customers know them by a distinctive brand. Under Nepal’s first-to-file system, the first valid application carries practical importance, regardless of who says they used a name first.
This can include a Kathmandu skin clinic, a Pokhara dental centre, a Lalitpur salon, a veterinary practice, or a commercial greenhouse that provides cultivation services. A sole proprietor, partnership, company, or foreign business can apply, provided the ownership details and supporting documents are properly prepared.
A business name registered with the Office of the Company Registrar (OCR) is not the same thing as trademark registration. OCR records a business entity. A DoI registration certificate gives the registered mark its industrial-property protection for the specified Class 44 services.
How do you register a Class 44 trademark in Nepal?
You register a Class 44 trademark by filing at the DoI, passing examination, appearing in the Industrial Property Bulletin, completing the 90-day opposition period, and receiving a certificate. The usual unopposed timeline is about 12–14 months, though exceptionally smooth applications may finish in roughly 6–8 months.
- Clear the name and logo. Search identical and similar marks used for clinics, salons, veterinary services, and related activities. Start with the public Nepal trademark database search, then assess close spelling, sound, and visual conflicts.
- Confirm Class 44 and any extra classes. Use the NICE Class Finder to distinguish your services from medicine, cosmetics, education, or retail goods.
- Prepare the application. Identify the owner, mark, Class 44 service wording, and supporting documents. Make sure the applicant shown on the form is the person or entity that owns the brand.
- File with the Department of Industry. One application covers one NICE class in Nepal. If the same brand also covers Class 3 cosmetics or Class 5 medicinal products, file separate applications.
- Respond to examination. The DoI checks whether the mark conflicts with an earlier mark or falls within a refusal ground under the PDTA.
- Complete publication and registration. An accepted mark is published in the Industrial Property Bulletin. A third party may oppose it within 90 days; if no opposition succeeds, registration and the certificate follow.
What documents are needed for a Class 44 filing?
A Class 44 filing generally needs the application form, a clear trademark label, ownership papers, and authority documents where an agent files. The DoI may require supporting records based on whether the owner is Nepali or foreign, and a foreign applicant uses a Nepal-based representative because Nepal is not in the Madrid System.
For a Nepali business, practical filing papers commonly include the company board resolution where relevant, industry registration records, tax-clearance documentation, and a notarised power of attorney if a representative acts. The mark label should accurately show the word, logo, colours, or combination you want registered.
Foreign applicants may also need notarised or certified home-registration and priority documents. Nepal participates in the Paris Convention framework, so a qualifying priority claim may be relevant. It does not create automatic Nepal protection; the application must still be filed directly with the DoI.
How long does Class 44 registration take and what affects cost?
An unopposed Class 44 application typically takes 12–14 months from DoI filing to certificate, while a straightforward case may finish in 6–8 months. Costs depend on the number of classes, government charges, professional work, document preparation, search depth, and whether examination or opposition issues arise.
Class 44 itself is one application. If a dermatology clinic sells branded treatment products, or a spa sells its own cosmetics, each added goods class is another application and adds to the overall cost. Use the trademark fee calculator for a current starting estimate, then seek tailored guidance for your actual filing plan.
Once registered, the trademark term is seven years and can be renewed repeatedly in further seven-year terms. Renewal planning should cover every registered class, not only the Class 44 service registration. The Department of Industry is the registering authority.
What legal rules and mistakes affect Class 44 marks?
The PDTA gives registered-trademark rights through registration, prohibits registration that harms another mark’s goodwill, and requires separate applications by class under Sec. 18 and Sec. 18A. A mark can also face cancellation risk if it is not put into use within one year of registration under Sec. 18C.
Do not use ® before registration. You may describe an unregistered brand as a TM, but only a registered mark should be presented as registered. Also avoid filing a descriptive phrase alone, such as “Best Dental Clinic” or “Organic Farming Service,” where it does not distinguish your business from competitors.
Another error is overlooking similar earlier marks. Search for sound-alikes, translations, common spelling changes, and similar logos. A detailed trademark clearance search service can assess conflicts before you commit to filing. This article is general information, not legal advice; unusual ownership or conflict questions deserve tailored advice.
How does a Class 44 filing work for a Nepal salon or clinic?
Imagine a Pokhara business called “Himal Glow” offering facials, hairdressing, massage, and spa services. Its service mark belongs in Class 44, while any Himal Glow skin creams or shampoo usually belong in Class 3. The DoI will assess each application separately through examination and Bulletin publication.
If the same business later opens a fitness studio, Class 41 may be needed for physical-fitness training. If it begins selling medicated anti-acne preparations, Class 5 may be relevant. That is why a class map should reflect both today’s offering and credible near-term plans.
The same approach works for a medical practice. A Class 44 registration covers the clinic’s healthcare service brand, but it does not replace health-sector licensing, business registration, product approvals, or other regulatory permissions. Trademark protection and professional compliance are separate duties.
In short
Trademark Class 44 in Nepal protects medical, beauty, veterinary, and agriculture services through a DoI registration that lasts seven years and is renewable. File Class 44 for the care service, then add separate NICE classes for products or other activities. Early filing matters because Nepal operates on a first-to-file basis.
- Choose Class 44 for clinics, salons, spas, veterinary care, and cultivation services.
- Add Class 3 for cosmetics, Class 5 for medicinal goods, and Class 41 for fitness instruction where relevant.
- Search early, describe your actual services clearly, and file each required class separately.
People also search for
Related Nepal trademark guides explain the broader NICE system, goods-versus-services distinction, and nearby product classes. Each guide reflects the DoI’s class-by-class approach under Sec. 18A, which is especially useful for medical, beauty, and agriculture businesses expanding beyond Class 44.
- 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 in trademark classification?
- Trademark Class 3 in Nepal for cosmetics and cleaning products
- Trademark Class 5 in Nepal for pharmaceuticals and medicines
- How to protect an agriculture or dairy brand in Nepal
Before filing, search existing Nepal trademarks, review the available trademark registration help, and contact our team for practical Class 44 filing advice tailored to your clinic, salon, veterinary, or agriculture business.
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