Trademark search in Pakistan: how to check a brand name on IPO before you file

A trademark search in Pakistan is done through IPO-Pakistan’s Trade Marks Registry. The official route is form TM-55, which costs Rs 1,000 per class and returns a result in about 15 days. IPO’s own online search is still marked “coming soon” on its website as of 18 October 2026. You can also search in person at an IPO office for Rs 300 per 15 minutes.

What are the ways to do a trademark search in Pakistan?

Fees are from IPO’s fee page as of October 2026. IPO’s 2019 filing guide calls the search “optional” but advises doing it before you apply.

How do I file an official trademark search (TM-55)?

Can I search a brand name myself at IPO?

Yes. Rule 88 of the Trade Marks Rules allows a personal search. IPO’s 2019 guide says it’s available at the Trade Marks Registry in Karachi, IPO’s head office in Islamabad and the Lahore regional office. It costs a Rs 300 bank draft for 15 minutes. IPO’s fee page lists the same Rs 300 for each quarter of an hour.

The addresses, from IPO’s FAQ page (checked 18 Oct 2026):

• Karachi (Trade Marks Registry): IP-House, Plot CD-3, behind KDA Civic Centre, Gulshan-e-Iqbal
• Islamabad (head office): 3rd Floor, NTC-HQs Building, Attaturk Avenue (East), G-5/2
• Lahore (regional office): Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry building, 11 Shahrah-e-Aiwan-e-Sanat-o-Tijarat, near China Chowk

Is there a free trademark search in Pakistan?

There are two free checks, but neither replaces the official search:

• The Trademarks Journal. IPO posts each issue as a PDF on its E-Journal page, with an archive back to 2004. The latest issues are No. 907 (25 Sep 2026), 906 (25 Aug 2026) and 905 (27 Jul 2026). Each is a large file: issue 907 is about 30 MB. The Journal shows marks published for opposition, not every pending application.
• WIPO’s Global Brand Database. WIPO’s Pakistan country page links a search of “the national trademark collection for: Pakistan”. We couldn’t open WIPO’s coverage page (it asks for a CAPTCHA), so we don’t know how complete or recent the Pakistan data is.

A free search that finds nothing doesn’t mean a name is free to use. Only IPO’s own records, through TM-55 or a personal search, cover registered marks and pending applications together.

Which trademark class should I search?

IPO uses the Nice Classification, with goods in the lower classes and services from class 35 to 45. Common ones for small businesses, from IPO’s classification summary:

Search every class you plan to register in. A clothing brand that also runs a shop may need more than one class.

What does a trademark clash look like?

The Trade Marks Ordinance sets out when IPO refuses a mark because of an earlier one (section 17):

• Same mark, same goods or services: refused.
• Same or similar mark, same or similar goods or services: refused if the public is likely to be confused, including thinking the two are connected.
• Similar to an earlier mark with a reputation in Pakistan: can be refused even for different goods, if it takes unfair advantage of or harms that reputation.

“Earlier mark” includes pending applications, not just registered ones (section 18). The earlier owner can consent, and then the mark can be registered.

IPO can also refuse a mark on its own merits (section 14): if it isn’t distinctive, or only describes the product’s kind, quality, purpose or origin, unless it has become distinctive through use. A search report doesn’t check this.

What do I do after the search?

If the search is clear, apply on form TM-1 for each class: Rs 3,000 to apply and Rs 9,000 to register, per IPO’s fee page. The full process, timelines and online filing are in trademark registration in Pakistan.

Register your business first or alongside it: see how to register a sole proprietorship or how to register a company.

More guides: Company Setup, business structures in Pakistan, how to start an e-commerce business.