Last August, an amendment to Nepalese trademark law introduced a requirement for trademark owners to submit evidence of use within one year from the registration. However, this reform was suspended due to local political instability.
On December 1st, the Department of Industry (DoI) published a new notice reinstating — while adapting — this reform.
In particular, mandatory deadlines have been set for regularization of long-pending trademark applications.
Main applicable measures:
- Applications for registration that have been pending for more than seven years due to incomplete documentation: the missing documents must be provided before 28 February 2026. Otherwise, applications will be automatically withdrawn.
- This rule of automatic abandonment after seven years will now apply to all future applications.
- For trademarks already published in the Official gazette before December 1, 2025, and which have not been subject to any opposition, owners have six months — until 31 May 2026 — to apply for the issuance of the registration certificate and complete any remaining formalities. Any delay will also result in cancellation.
Recommendations for trademark owners:
- Review their portfolio of Nepalese trademarks to identify the necessary actions.
- Carefully retain internal documentation (filing evidences, assignment deeds, procedural documents, proofs of use).
Although the December 1 notice does not expressly reiterate previous guidelines on proof of use, Nepalese law continues to impose a one-year vulnerability period in the event of non-use.
It therefore remains advisable to keep adequate evidences on file.
Decembre 2025