The trademark renewal deadline Nepal businesses must meet is within 35 days after a mark’s seven-year expiry date. The Department of Industry (DoI) permits late renewal for a further six months, after which cancellation follows under Sec. 23B of the Patent, Design and Trademark Act 1965 (PDTA).
Key Takeaways
The DoI keeps a registered trademark active for seven years from its registration date, then requires renewal under Sec. 23B. You should identify the certificate date early, renew every NICE class separately, and treat the six-month late period as a last resort rather than your working deadline.
- A Nepali trade mark runs for seven years from registration, not from first use or application filing.
- File a doi trademark renewal within 35 days after expiry to stay in the ordinary renewal window.
- A further six-month late-renewal period is available, subject to the prescribed additional fine.
- If renewal is not completed within that extended period, the registration is automatically cancelled.
- Nepal uses the NICE Classification’s 45 classes, and every registered class has its own renewal record.
- A company name, product name, logo, and wordmark may need separate checks because they are not always protected in the same way.
- Record ownership, name, or address changes with the DoI rather than waiting until the renewal deadline.
When does a trademark expire in Nepal?
A trademark expires seven years from the registration date shown on the DoI registration certificate, under Sec. 18D of the PDTA. The date does not move because you began using the brand earlier, expanded the business, assigned the mark, or changed the design of your shop sign.
This is the first date to check when you renew trademark Nepal protection. Find the original registration certificate and note its registration date, registration number, owner name, mark, and class. If the certificate is missing, confirm the entry through the DoI record before relying on an old spreadsheet or a memory of when you filed.
A common mistake we see is counting seven years from the filing receipt. Filing gives you an application date, but the statutory term for a registered mark runs from registration. An application that faced examination questions, Bulletin publication, or opposition may have been registered much later than its filing date.
For a transferred brand, the clock remains tied to the existing registration. Buying a café name, clothing label, or packaged-food brand does not create a fresh seven-year term. Confirm that the transfer has been properly recorded and that the seller’s trademark expiry date has not already passed.
How do you calculate the trademark renewal deadline Nepal businesses face?
You calculate the deadline by adding seven years to the registration date and then counting 35 days after that expiry date. Sec. 23B sets this ordinary renewal period, while the DoI allows a further six months after expiry for late renewal with the prescribed additional fine.
- Locate the registration certificate. Check the registration date, owner, mark, and NICE class number.
- Add seven years. This gives the trademark expiry date for that particular registration.
- Mark the next 35 days. This is the ordinary period for filing the renewal request.
- Mark the six-month late period. Keep it as an emergency backstop, not a planned filing date.
- Check every class separately. A logo in Class 25 and the same name in Class 35 can have different certificate dates.
- Prepare records before expiry. Resolve owner-name, address, or assignment issues before the deadline becomes urgent.
Use IP Sewa’s trademark renewal calculator to organise dates, then compare its result against the certificate and DoI record. Calendar at least two internal reminders: one well before expiry to collect documents, and another immediately after expiry when the 35-day statutory window begins.
What does the DoI renewal process involve?
The DoI renewal process requires a renewal application for the registered mark and class, supported by the relevant certificate and authority documents where needed. Under Sec. 23B, the Department decides whether the renewal is timely and records the continued seven-year term in its industrial-property register.
Renewal is not a new trademark application. The DoI is not re-running the full sequence of examination, Industrial Property Bulletin publication, 90-day opposition, registration, and certificate that applies when you first seek brand registration. Still, the renewal filing must accurately match the existing record.
Where an agent acts, a valid power of attorney may be needed. A company should also make sure its board authority, company details, and applicant identity are current. Foreign owners file directly through a Nepal-based agent or representative because Nepal is not part of the Madrid System.
Keep proof of filing and the renewed record with your certificate. If you license the mark to a distributor, franchisee, or manufacturer, share confirmation that the registered mark remains current. Commercial partners often need a clear answer, not an informal assurance that renewal is “being handled.”
Which documents should you prepare for brand registration renewal?
You should prepare the renewal application, the existing trademark registration certificate, and authority documents that show who may act for the owner. The DoI needs consistent owner and mark details, especially where a company has changed its legal name, address, directors, or authorised representative since registration.
For a Nepali company, have the relevant company authority and current business records ready if an agent will file. For an overseas owner, a properly executed power of attorney for the Nepal-based representative is central. Nepal is outside the Madrid System, so a foreign registration does not renew a Nepali mark.
Do not assume that a new OCR record automatically updates the DoI trademark register. The Office of the Company Registrar (OCR) records company matters, while the Department of Industry maintains industrial-property records. If names differ between the two systems, sort out the mismatch before it causes delay.
Also keep a clean copy of the registered label. This matters most for logo registration, stylised wordmarks, and marks containing Nepali script. Renewal maintains the mark that is on the register; it is not the right time to substitute a redesigned logo or a changed spelling.
How do NICE classes affect renewal dates and scope?
NICE Classification divides goods and services into 45 classes, and Nepal requires one application per class under Sec. 18A. Each class registration must be renewed independently, so a business with a wordmark and logo across several goods or service classes needs a class-by-class renewal plan.
| Business activity | Likely NICE class | What renewal maintains |
|---|---|---|
| “Himali Threads” clothing label | Class 25 | Protection for clothing, footwear, and headwear listed in that registration |
| Retail outlet selling the label | Class 35 | Protection for relevant retail and business services |
| Branded café and food service | Class 43 | Protection for restaurant, café, and catering services |
| Packaged tea sold under the same name | Class 30 | Protection for tea and other listed food goods |
Imagine Himali Threads began with garments in Class 25, later opened retail stores in Class 35, and sold tea through a café in Class 43. Those are separate registrations, possibly obtained in different years. Renewing only the clothing registration may leave the retail or café brand exposed.
Check the exact goods and services on each certificate, not just the class heading. The NICE class finder can help you understand class coverage, but it cannot replace a review of what was actually registered. A trade mark protects the registered mark in its registered scope.
What happens if you miss the 35-day and six-month deadlines?
The DoI automatically cancels a trademark if renewal is not completed within the six-month late period after expiry, as Sec. 23B states. Once cancelled, the old registration no longer gives you the registered-mark rights that came with the certificate, and a fresh filing may be necessary.
That is a serious position in a first-to-file country. Nepal gives priority to the first valid application, rather than the person who says they used a name first. If you delay after cancellation, another trader may apply for a similar name or logo in a relevant class before you file again.
A new filing is not a simple restoration of your former certificate. It will go through DoI examination, publication in the Industrial Property Bulletin, the 90-day opposition period used in current trademark practice, registration, and a new certificate if successful. A typical unopposed application takes about 12–14 months end to end; only smooth cases may finish in roughly 6–8 months.
If you find that your mark may already be cancelled, act promptly. Search the Nepal trademark record for later filings and assess whether a fresh application, opposition, or enforcement step is appropriate. This article is general information, not legal advice; urgent cases need a fact-specific review.
What affects the cost of trademark renewal in Nepal?
Trademark renewal cost depends mainly on the number of NICE classes, whether you file within the 35-day period or late period, and whether ownership records need correction. The DoI charges government fees, while professional work can include document review, authority preparation, filing, and resolving record inconsistencies.
Do not budget from a single-class estimate if your portfolio contains separate registrations for a name, logo, retail service, and product line. Each class is a separate Nepal application and registration. A late filing also attracts the prescribed additional fine, so an organised calendar usually reduces avoidable expense.
Consider whether each class still supports real commercial activity or a planned expansion. Letting an irrelevant registration lapse can be a business choice, but make it deliberately. Giving up Class 35 while retaining Class 25, for example, may weaken business-name protection for retail services even though the clothing mark survives.
For a current class-by-class estimate, use the trademark fee calculator or ask our team for a tailored assessment. Do not wait for a cost calculation before checking the deadline; the certificate date is always the first priority.
What legal rules and edge cases should trademark owners know?
The Patent, Design and Trademark Act 1965 governs trademark renewal through Sec. 23B, while Sec. 18D establishes the seven-year term and Sec. 18A supports separate class registration. The DoI administers these rules as Nepal’s industrial-property authority, with WIPO treaty systems not replacing national renewal requirements.
The legal text is available through the Nepal Law Commission, and the Department publishes industrial-property information through the Department of Industry. Nepal is a Paris Convention and TRIPS participant, but those international commitments do not turn a foreign registration into an active Nepali registration.
Use is another point to remember. Under Sec. 18C, the DoI may cancel a registered mark that is not put into use within one year of registration. Renewal preserves a registration term; it does not cure every possible issue with the mark, its ownership, or its actual use.
Do not use ® for an unregistered mark. Sec. 18B restricts use of a mark as registered before registration. You may use TM as a business signal, but TM is not a substitute for a valid DoI registration certificate or a completed brand registration renewal.
In short: check the certificate date, file within 35 days after the seven-year expiry, and do not let the six-month late period become your plan. Track each NICE class and keep the DoI record aligned with the real owner.
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These related Nepal IP guides explain registration records, class selection, renewal of other rights, and the DoI process under the PDTA.
- How does trademark renewal work in Nepal?
- How do I read my trademark registration certificate?
- What is NICE Classification for trademarks?
- How do I check the trademark register of Nepal?
- What is the Industrial Property Bulletin?
- What does the Department of Industry do for IP?
- When must a patent be renewed in Nepal?
- When must an industrial design be renewed in Nepal?
Check your mark and similar entries in the Nepal trademark database, use the renewal tools above, and contact our team for practical help with a time-sensitive DoI trademark renewal.
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