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Country trademark guide · Updated

Trademark registration in Laos

To register a trademark in Laos, you file with the Department of Intellectual Property of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce or designate Laos through the Madrid System. Laos is first-to-file, applicants based abroad must appoint an authorised Lao agent, and the opposition period after publication is only 60 days.

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Enter the mark, classes and applicant; an agent quotes after you submit. Once you accept the quote you pay online and can follow progress in your account.

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Five questions first

Which route?File directly if you only need Laos and want the goods worded to Lao practice; designate Laos through Madrid if you already have a home application or registration and want several countries.Details ↓What do I need?An application form in Lao, the mark, specifically named goods or services and a power of attorney; supporting documents in English need a certified Lao translation within 90 days.Details ↓How are official fees charged?In Lao kip, per class. The current trademark fee schedule could not be verified from an official source; the agent's quote itemises the official fees.Details ↓How long does it take?Statutory periods: 60 days to correct formal defects and 60 days for opposition after publication; the law sets no examination period and no official average times are published.Details ↓What are the main risks?Pre-emptive filings (first-to-file), goods worded as class headings or general terms, missing the 60-day opposition period, and cancellation requests within 5 years of the registration being published.Details ↓
Key facts

Trademarks in Laos: key facts

OfficeDepartment of Intellectual Property, Ministry of Industry and Commerce. Website and search links: IP Toolbox.
LawLaw on Intellectual Property (No. 50/NA, revised on 20 November 2023, in force since 24 January 2024); implementing rules are issued by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce
Registration principleFirst-to-file: where several applications cover the same subject matter, registration goes to the application with the earliest filing (or priority) date that meets the protection requirements
Madrid SystemMember of the Madrid Protocol since 7 March 2016; Laos can be designated through Madrid and has declared an 18-month refusal period
Foreign applicantsApplicants with no place of business or residence in Laos must act through an authorised Lao agent
LanguageLao; supporting documents can be in English, but a certified Lao translation must follow within 90 days
Multi-class applicationsAllowed; one application covers one mark and can list several classes, with fees charged per class
Goods and servicesClass headings and general terms are not accepted; name the specific goods or services
Corrections (statutory)If formality examination finds the documents incomplete or not in the required form, correct them within 60 days of the notice
Opposition (statutory)60 days from publication of the application
Cancellation after registration (statutory)Within 5 years of publication of the registration, third parties can request cancellation; false or bad-faith registrations can be cancelled or declared invalid by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce
Term and renewal10 years from the filing date, renewable any number of times for 10 years each; the renewal fee is paid in advance for each 10-year term
Non-useAfter 5 consecutive years of non-use, or of merely token use or use not in good faith, anyone can request cancellation
PriorityWithin 6 months of an earlier application filed abroad; the priority document can follow within 3 months of the Lao filing date, without legalisation

Checked on 2026-10-10; general information only — the office's published rules and fees prevail.

Which route

Direct filing or a Madrid designation

Both routes lead to registration in Laos. They differ in prerequisites, fee structure, language requirements and risk.

ItemDirect filing with the Department of Intellectual PropertyMadrid designation of Laos
PrerequisiteNoneA basic application or registration at your office of origin
Official feesIn Lao kip, per class, paid to the Department of Intellectual PropertyBasic fee and a Lao individual fee (first class and each additional class charged separately, in Swiss francs; see the WIPO fee calculator) paid to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
LanguageApplication in Lao; supporting documents in English need a Lao translation within 90 daysFiled in a language of the international application; Laos requires a description of the mark and an English translation of the mark
Lao agentRequired from filingNot needed to file; a local Lao agent is needed to respond to a provisional refusal, answer an opposition or file a letter of consent
Examination periodThe law sets no period for trademark examinationLaos must issue any provisional refusal within 18 months (Laos has made this declaration); a provisional refusal must be answered within 60 days of WIPO's notification
Dependency riskNoneIf the basic application or registration is refused or cancelled within 5 years, the Lao designation falls with it (it can be transformed into a Lao national application as provided)
Best forYou only need Laos; the goods wording has to follow Lao examination practice; you have no home filing to rely onYou already have a home filing and want protection in several countries

Not sure? Run a free search first, then submit an order online; the agent will recommend a route based on the search results.

What to prepare

Documents checklist

For a direct application to the Department of Intellectual Property, prepare the following information and documents. No evidence of use is needed at filing.

Applicant

  • Name and address, and nationality or place of incorporation
  • If you have no place of business or residence in Laos, also the name and address of your authorised Lao agent

The mark

  • A clear image of the mark; words, names, letters, numerals, figurative elements, shapes, three-dimensional signs, moving signs, product packaging and colour combinations can be registered
  • For a Madrid designation of Laos, a description of the mark and an English translation of the mark

Goods and services

  • List them class by class under the Nice classification; class headings and general terms are not accepted, so name specific goods (in class 25, for example, shirts, trousers and socks)
  • One application can cover several classes, with fees charged per class

Power of attorney and priority

  • A power of attorney, and the name and address of the Lao agent
  • Priority from an earlier application filed abroad: file in Laos within 6 months of the earlier filing date; the priority document can be submitted within 3 months of the Lao filing date, without legalisation and free of charge

Signed documents such as the power of attorney are provided following the agent's instructions. A filing date requires at least the application form, an image of the mark and proof of payment; supporting documents filed in English need a certified Lao translation within 90 days.

How long

Process and timeline

Example: a direct application with no opposition.

  1. Step 1

    Clearance search (recommended)

    Search for similar marks and settle the classes and the specific goods or services

  2. Step 2

    Filing

    File in Lao through an authorised Lao agent; the application form, an image of the mark and proof of payment secure a filing date

  3. Step 3

    Formality examination

    Correct incomplete or non-compliant documents within 60 days of the notice (statutory)

  4. Step 4

    Publication and opposition

    Once formality examination is complete, the application is published in the industrial property gazette; 60-day opposition period after publication (statutory)

  5. Step 5

    Substantive examination

    Distinctiveness, grounds for refusal and conflicts with earlier marks, well-known marks and trade names are examined; the law sets no time limit

  6. Step 6

    Registration

    Once approved, the certificate is issued, recorded and published in the gazette; third parties can still request cancellation within 5 years of publication of the registration (statutory)

Lao law sets no period for trademark examination and the Department of Intellectual Property publishes no official statistics on average examination times, so this page gives no estimate; corrections, oppositions or refusals add time. For a Madrid designation, Laos must issue any provisional refusal within 18 months.

How to read the periods: "statutory" = set by law; "official statistics" = averages published by the office; "estimate" = typical cases. Actual timing varies.

How much

Official fees

Official fees are charged in Lao kip. One application covers one mark and can list several classes, with fees charged per class; after registration, the renewal fee is paid in advance every 10 years. Oppositions, non-use cancellation requests, recording assignments and other procedures are charged separately.

Official fees for this jurisdiction are being compiled; after you submit an order, the agent quotes them together with the service fee.

Official fees are as published by the office; the service fee is quoted by an agent after you submit, and you pay only after accepting the quote.

The Department of Intellectual Property's website could not be accessed when this page was checked, so the current fees for filing, registration and renewal could not be verified from an official source. The fee table therefore shows no amounts and no worked example is given; the agent's quote itemises the official fees at the current rates.

According to the Madrid Member Profile that the Department of Intellectual Property provided to WIPO (updated July 2024), filing an opposition and requesting non-use cancellation cost LAK 400,000 each, and recording an assignment LAK 400,000 per registration; the payment notice prevails.

Service fees are quoted by the agent after you submit the order; you pay only after accepting the quote.

Watch out

Rules specific to Laos and common refusals

These are the most common issues in Lao examination and enforcement, along with Lao rules that are easy to overlook.

No class headings or general terms

The Department of Intellectual Property accepts neither class headings nor general terms and requires specific goods or services: in class 25, for example, shirts, trousers and socks rather than "clothing". Wording copied from your home application or from class headings is likely to draw a request for amendment or a refusal.

Evidence of use cannot overcome a distinctiveness refusal

The Department of Intellectual Property states expressly that a refusal for lack of distinctiveness cannot be overcome by filing evidence of use to claim acquired distinctiveness. Descriptive or weak signs are best redesigned into a distinctive mark before filing.

Only 60 days to oppose, with no extension

Applications are published after formality examination, and owners of earlier rights must oppose within 60 days of publication; this period cannot be extended. If you already have a brand in Laos, keep watching the Lao industrial property gazette.

Cancellation requests within 5 years of registration

Within 5 years of publication of the registration, third parties can request its cancellation; false or bad-faith registrations can be cancelled or declared invalid by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. Even with the certificate in hand, watch for cancellation requests during the first 5 years.

Pre-emptive filings under first-to-file

Where several applications are filed for the same mark, registration goes to the eligible application with the earliest filing (or priority) date, so file before you enter the Lao market. Marks identical or similar to a registered mark, a well-known mark or another person's trade name, and likely to cause confusion, cannot be registered.

Lao language and translation deadlines

Applications must be filed in Lao; supporting documents can first be filed in English, but a certified Lao translation must follow within 90 days. Responses to a correction notice are due within 60 days; if the defects are not corrected in time, the application is deemed abandoned.

Free search: can your mark be registered in Laos?

Each account gets 1 free preliminary search a day: sign in, enter the mark and goods, and the report goes to your account and email.

Free search
After registration

Keeping the registration

A Lao registration is valid for 10 years from the filing date and can be renewed any number of times; 5 consecutive years of non-use can lead to cancellation.

WhenWhat to doOfficial fee
Every 10 years, before the term expiresRenew and pay in advance for the next 10 years; if the renewal fee is not paid, the right ends when the paid term expiresAs stated in the payment notice (current amount not verified)
Any timeRecord an assignment with the Department of Intellectual Property through a local Lao agent, filing proof of the assignmentLAK 400,000 per registration (WIPO member profile)
On receiving a non-use cancellation requestRespond with evidence of use within 60 days; if you do not respond, the registration is cancelledThe requester pays LAK 400,000 (WIPO member profile)

Customs officers at border checkpoints can inspect imports and exports on their own initiative and seize goods that infringe trademark rights. Use by a licensee under the owner's control counts as use; keep evidence of sales, advertising and other use in Laos.

FAQ

Trademark registration in Laos

How much does a trademark cost in Laos?

Official fees are charged in Lao kip, per class, and the renewal fee is paid in advance every 10 years. The current fees for filing, registration and renewal could not be verified from an official source; the agent's quote itemises the official fees. According to information the Department of Intellectual Property provided to WIPO, filing an opposition and requesting non-use cancellation cost LAK 400,000 each. Service fees are quoted by the agent after you submit the order; you pay only after accepting the quote.

How long does trademark registration in Laos take?

The law sets only some periods: 60 days to correct defects after formality examination and 60 days for opposition after publication. Substantive examination has no statutory time limit, and the Department of Intellectual Property publishes no average examination times. For a Madrid designation, Laos must issue any provisional refusal within 18 months.

Can a foreign company file in Laos without a local agent?

No. Applicants with no place of business or residence in Laos must act through an authorised Lao agent. A Madrid designation of Laos needs no Lao agent at filing, but responding to a provisional refusal or answering an opposition must go through a local Lao agent.

Can I designate Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia in one application?

Yes. All four are members of the Madrid Protocol: if you already have a home application or registration, you can designate them together in one international application, and each country examines the mark and charges its individual fee separately. The wording of goods and examination practice differ from country to country; see Trademark registration in Vietnam, Trademark registration in Thailand and Trademark registration in Cambodia.

What can I do if someone has filed my mark in Laos?

First check what stage the other application has reached: within 60 days of publication, you can file an opposition; once it is registered, you can request cancellation within 5 years of publication of the registration; for a false or bad-faith registration, you can ask the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to cancel it or declare it invalid; and if the mark has not been used for 5 consecutive years, you can request cancellation for non-use.

Can a Lao trademark be cancelled for non-use?

Yes. After 5 consecutive years of non-use, or of merely token use or use not in good faith, anyone can request cancellation; the period runs from the registration date. The owner has 60 days to respond with evidence of use, and can give legitimate reasons, such as force majeure, for not using the mark.

Other IP rights

Patents: in Laos, patents for inventions are protected for 20 years from the filing (or priority) date and petty patents for 10 years, both with annual fees paid in advance; Laos has been party to the PCT since 14 June 2006, and PCT applications can enter the Lao national phase within 30 months from the priority date.

Designs: industrial designs are protected for 15 years from the filing (or priority) date, with fees paid in advance every 5 years; the Hague Agreement applies to Laos from 14 October 2026.

Patent applications are handled through an affiliated patent agency.

Other countries and territories in the region

Cambodia　·　Vietnam　·　Thailand

Ready to file?

Order online · Laos trademark registration

Enter the mark, classes and applicant; an agent quotes after you submit. Once you accept the quote you pay online and can follow progress in your account.

Start your order (Laos selected) Run a free search first

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Notice: the services described on this page are carried out by locally licensed partner firms; J&C is your point of contact and coordinates and delivers the work. Fees shown are estimates; official fees are those actually charged by the office and the final quote is confirmed by an agent. Examination times are set by each office and the outcome depends on official examination; we make no promise as to results. By submitting an order you agree that the information needed for the work is shared with the relevant partner firm (which may be outside your country). This page is general information, not legal advice.

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