# After you file a trademark in Pakistan: status check, objections, journal, opposition and renewal

URL: https://which.pk/business/guides/trademark-status-check-pakistan/
Author: Ahtisham
Updated: 20 Oct 2026

## Summary

As of 20 October 2026, IPO-Pakistan has no working online trademark status check: its E-Status service is marked 'coming soon'. You ask the Trade Marks Registry with your application number, or file form TM-45 for Rs 1,500. After filing, expect an examination report in about 3 to 4 months, two months to answer any objection, publication in the monthly Journal, a two-month opposition window, then the Rs 9,000 registration fee and the certificate. Renewal costs Rs 15,000 every 10 years.

## Key facts

- IPO online status: 'Coming soon' (20 Oct 2026)
- Reply to an objection: 2 months
- Opposition window: 2 months after the Journal
- Renewal: Rs 15,000 every 10 years

There is **no working online trademark status check in Pakistan** as of 20 October 2026: IPO-Pakistan's "E-Status" service is still marked **"coming soon"**. To check where your application stands, contact the Trade Marks Registry in Karachi with your application number, or file form **TM-45 (Rs 1,500)** for formal information. Below is every stage after filing, with IPO's average times, your deadlines and the fees.

## How do I check my trademark status in Pakistan?

You have three routes, none of them online:

| Route | What you need | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Ask the Trade Marks Registry, Karachi | Your application number (on the acknowledgement receipt) | No fee listed |
| Ask at IPO's Lahore office | Same | No fee listed |
| Form TM-45, request for information about applications and registered marks (section 109) | Application or registration number | Rs 1,500 |

The Registry's helpline page gives **021-99232050** and **tmr@ipo.gov.pk**. Its contact page and FAQ give 021-99230538. The Lahore office says it handles "post filing requests" on trademark applications. Fees go by pay order or bank draft to Director General, IPO-Pakistan, as the Registry doesn't take cash.

Before your mark is published, section 109 lets IPO share an application's details with other people only in prescribed cases or with your consent. After publication, anyone can ask on TM-45.

**What we couldn't check:** On 20 October 2026, IPO's home page showed "E-Status (coming soon)" and "E-Search (coming soon)". Its "Case Status" and "Inquiry Section" menu items link to nothing. The online filing portal (apply.ipo.gov.pk) didn't respond when we tried on 7, 18 and 20 October, so we can't say whether people who filed online see their status there.

## What happens after I file, and how long does each stage take?

These are IPO's own average times. They assume no objection that drags on and no opposition.

If you reply to an objection, IPO takes about **three months** on average to act on your reply. IPO puts the stretch from acceptance through the opposition window to the demand notice at about **six months**.

Your acknowledgement receipt carries the **application number**. Keep it: every later letter, payment and query uses it.

## What does a trademark objection or show-cause notice mean?

After filing, the Registrar searches earlier marks and checks your application against the law. If there's a problem, IPO writes to you. IPO's FAQ calls this letter a **show-cause notice**. Common reasons are a similar earlier mark, or a mark that only describes the product.

You have **two months** from the date of the letter (rule 27) to do one of these:

1. **Amend** the application as IPO proposes, for example by narrowing the goods. A correction or amendment on TM-16 costs Rs 600.
2. **Reply in writing** with your arguments or evidence of use.
3. **Ask for a hearing**, and attend it. A notice that you'll attend a hearing (TM-7) costs Rs 600.

If you do none of these, the application is **treated as abandoned**. You can ask to restore it on **TM-57 (Rs 1,500)** with a statement of your reasons within two months of the abandonment.

Most deadlines in the Rules can be extended by up to **three months in total** on **TM-56 (Rs 1,500)**. The opposition and counter-statement deadlines and the renewal periods can't; they have their own limits.

If the Registrar refuses your mark, ask for the written grounds on **TM-15 (Rs 1,500)** within one month of the decision. An appeal goes to the High Court within two months of the decision (rule 85).

## When is my mark published in the Trademarks Journal?

Once IPO accepts the application, it advertises it in the **Trademarks Journal**, about two months after acceptance on IPO's average. IPO posts each issue as a PDF on its E-Journal page, one a month. The latest on 20 October 2026 was **No. 907, dated 25 September 2026**, a file of about 30 MB.

Under rule 29, the entry shows your mark, application number, class, goods or services, your name and address, the filing date and any conditions or disclaimers. To find yours, look for your application number in the issues published after acceptance.

## How long is the trademark opposition period in Pakistan?

**Two months** from the date of the Journal advertisement (section 28). The Registrar can allow up to two more months in total if someone applies and pays.

If someone opposes, the steps and deadlines are:

| Step | Who | Deadline | Form and fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notice of opposition | Opponent | 2 months from the Journal | TM-5, Rs 9,000 |
| Counter-statement | You | 1 month from receiving the notice | TM-6, Rs 1,500 |
| Opponent's evidence | Opponent | 2 months from your counter-statement | Affidavit |
| Your evidence | You | 2 months from the opponent's evidence | Affidavit |
| Hearing | Both | At least one month's notice; say you'll attend within 14 days | TM-7, Rs 600 |

Miss the counter-statement and your application is **treated as abandoned** (section 28(4)). The counter-statement deadline can be stretched by up to two months, but only if the Registrar allows it. An opponent who files no evidence is treated as having dropped the opposition. IPO says opposition cases take as long as each case needs.

Grounds for opposing include a similar earlier mark, that the applicant doesn't own the mark or doesn't intend to use it in Pakistan, and similarity to a well-known mark (section 29).

## When do I get the registration certificate?

If no one opposes within two months, or you win the opposition, IPO sends a **demand notice** for the registration fee: **Rs 9,000 per class on TM-11**. If you don't pay within the time allowed, the application is treated as abandoned (section 33(2)).

IPO's average is about **three months** from your payment to the certificate. The certificate is sealed, has a copy of your mark attached, and the registration is published. Your mark counts as registered from the **filing date**, not the certificate date.

If registration isn't completed within 12 months of filing because of something you didn't do, IPO can send a notice giving you 21 days to complete it before treating the application as abandoned.

## How do I renew a trademark in Pakistan?

A registration lasts **10 years** from the filing date and can be renewed for 10 years at a time. IPO's fees, as listed on its fee page on 20 October 2026:

| What | When | Form | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renewal | In the 6 months before expiry | TM-12 | Rs 15,000 |
| Late renewal (grace period) | Within 6 months of IPO's Journal notice of non-payment | TM-12 | Rs 15,000 + Rs 900 |
| Restoration after removal | Within 6 months of removal | TM-13 | Rs 3,000 + renewal fee |

IPO should send you a reminder between six months and one month before expiry (rule 50), but don't rely on it. The renewal runs from the old expiry date, not the day you pay. From the second renewal on, IPO can ask for proof that you use the mark in Pakistan.

If you don't renew in time, IPO removes the mark and publishes the removal. Restoration is at the Registrar's discretion: you have to show it is just to restore it.

**Use it or risk losing it:** A registered mark can be revoked if it isn't genuinely used in Pakistan for five years after registration, or if use stops for five years in a row without a proper reason (section 73).

## More guides

Still choosing a name? Start with a [trademark search in Pakistan](/business/guides/trademark-search-pakistan/). For the filing fees and online application, see [trademark registration in Pakistan](/business/guides/trademark-registration-pakistan/).

More guides: [Company Setup](/business/company-setup/), [how to register a sole proprietorship](/business/guides/how-to-register-sole-proprietorship/), [how to register a company](/business/guides/how-to-register-a-company-in-pakistan/).

## Questions people ask

### How can I check my trademark status online in Pakistan?

As of 20 October 2026 you can't on IPO's public website: its E-Status service is marked 'coming soon'. Contact the Trade Marks Registry in Karachi with your application number, or file form TM-45 (Rs 1,500) for formal information.

### How long do I have to reply to a trademark objection?

Two months from the date of IPO's written objection, which IPO calls a show-cause notice. You can amend the application, reply in writing or ask for a hearing. If you do nothing, the application is treated as abandoned.

### What is the trademark opposition period in Pakistan?

Two months from the date your mark is advertised in the Trademarks Journal. The Registrar can allow up to two more months in total if someone applies and pays the fee.

### Is there a grace period for trademark renewal in Pakistan?

Yes. If you miss the expiry date, IPO advertises the non-payment in the Journal and you have six months from that notice to renew, with an extra Rs 900. If the mark is removed, you can ask to restore it within six months on form TM-13 (Rs 3,000) plus the renewal fee.

## Sources

- [IPO-Pakistan home page (online services)](https://ipo.gov.pk/), IPO-Pakistan (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- [Trademarks: Fee & Forms](https://ipo.gov.pk/trademarks-fee-forms), IPO-Pakistan (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- [Trademark: Frequently Asked Questions](https://ipo.gov.pk/trademark_faqs), IPO-Pakistan (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- [Average Process Time for Services of Trade Marks Registry](https://ipo.gov.pk/trademark_average_time), IPO-Pakistan (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- [Trademarks E-Journal](https://ipo.gov.pk/trademarks-e-journal), IPO-Pakistan (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- [IP Helpline, Trade Marks Registry Karachi](https://ipo.gov.pk/node/109), IPO-Pakistan (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- [IP Services Offered, Regional Office Lahore](https://ipo.gov.pk/ipo_office_lahore_services_offered), IPO-Pakistan (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- [Trade Marks Ordinance, 2001 (as amended in 2023)](https://ipo.gov.pk/system/files/03-Trade%20Marks%20Ordinance%202001%20%28as%20amended%20in%202023%29.pdf), IPO-Pakistan (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- [Trade Marks Rules, 2004](https://ipo.gov.pk/system/files/Trade_Marks_Rules_2004.pdf), IPO-Pakistan (accessed 20 Oct 2026)