Month: August 2025

On 19 August 2025, the Department of Industry (DOI) under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, published a notice requiring trademark applicants and owners to complete pending formalities pursuant to the Patents, Designs and Trademarks Act, 2022 (1965).

Compliance Requirements & Practical Implications

1. Trademark Applicants – 90-day deadline (by 17 November 2025):
   First, ascertain whether your applications are pending publication, awaiting certificate collection, or have already been registered. Then, within 90 days of publication of this notice:
   1. Submit any missing documents for pending applications that have not yet been published in the Industrial Property Bulletin.
   2. Collect trademark registration certificates upon payment of the prescribed fee.
   Failure to comply will result in automatic dismissal of the application and lapse of registration on the 91st day.


2. Registered Trademark Owners – 60-day deadline (by 18 October 2025):
   Gather and submit proof of trademark use or product samples to the DOI. Acceptable proof may include:
   • Product packaging or labels bearing the trademark.
   • Advertising or promotional materials.
   • Invoices, receipts, or export/import documents showing use.
   • Website screenshots or online listings.
   • Physical product samples.
   Failure to provide proof may expose the mark to cancellation for non-use.


3. Businesses entering the Nepalese market:
   1. Ensure trademark counsel or agents are monitoring deadlines under the DOI’s notice.
   2. Factor in compliance timelines when planning brand launches.
   3. Maintain records of use for future verification and enforcement purposes.

G&A’s Commentary
This notice underscores the DOI’s strict enforcement of procedural requirements and the “use it or lose it” principle for trademark protection in Nepal. Trademark owners and applicants must not assume that filings alone are sufficient; timely compliance with administrative and evidentiary requirements is crucial to securing and maintaining protection.
We strongly encourage you to contact us immediately if this notice may apply to your filings or registrations. Taking early action will help safeguard your rights and prevent cancellation.

Disclaimer:
This G&A Update provides a summary of a government notice on trademark registration and compliance requirements in Nepal. It is intended for general information purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice. For specific guidance, please consult Gandhi & Associates.

For quick legal assistance:
Phone/Viber/WhatsApp: +977 9709035477
For specific legal advice regarding trademark registration and compliance requirements in Nepal, please contact our office to schedule a consultation with our experts.

The Government of Nepal, through the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supplies (“Ministry”), has issued a notification regarding businesses to submit listing forms on e-commerce portals. This announcement was published on 12 Shrawan 2082 (28 July 2025).

Key Compliance Deadlines:

• All businesses operating through electronic platforms (e.g., Websites, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, etc.) to submit their listing forms through the designated online e-commerce portal.

Failure to comply may result in regulatory penalties or restrictions on business operations.

Before the above announcement, an earlier notices were published on by 2 Shrawan 2082, i.e. 18 July 2025 and 18 Asar 2082 i.e.2 July 2025.

This announcement illustrates:

Steps Required:

1. Fill in the online form and ensure that all required fields and details are accurately filled out.
2. Operate electronic platforms:

• Run your business’s website, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, etc., under your company/firm’s official name.
• Clearly display the following on the platform:
• Company name
• Registration number
• Address
• Taxpayer number
• Contact person and contact number
• Correction and Resubmission:
• If the application is incomplete or missing required documents or information on the electronic platform, the department will send comments through the portal. Make the necessary corrections and resubmit the application through the same portal.

3. Facilitation is free, no revenue is required for it.
4. The entire listing process is conducted online through the designated portal. Once completed, a certificate containing the listing number will be issued digitally, eliminating the need for any physical visit to the department.

Documents Required for Listing:

When submitting the online form for listing, you must upload the following documents:

1. Copy of the director’s Nepali citizenship certificate
2. Company/Business registration certificate renewal

If registered only with the Office of the Registrar of Companies, then include:

• Business registration certificate or
• Permission from the Commercial Household, Municipality, or other relevant authority

3. Permanent Account Number (PAN)/Value Added Tax (VAT) registration certificate
4. Tax payment certificate

The full text of the notice published by the Department can be found below:

Notice dated on 12 Shrawan 2082(28 July 2025)

Dated: 16^th Shrawan, 2082 (1^st August, 2025)

In an official notice dated  (1^st August, 2025), Office of the Company Registrar (OCR) acknowledged a significant operational disruption due to staff reshuffle. OCR is currently operating with a minimal number of newly transferred employees, which has slowed down company-related processing.

Key Highlights of the Notice:

• Widespread staff transfer has disrupted normal OCR operations.
• A Corporate Action Room has been established to train and deploy new staff under Deputy Registrar supervision.
• Pending digital signature applications approved by outgoing staff are being fast-tracked.
• Annual return notices archived at OCR will now auto-sync to company CAMIS accounts.
• Name approvals and new company registrations are being handled by newly assigned staff.
• Most post-registration filings are targeted for resolution by mid-August 2025.
• Deregistration cases (starting with liquidation matters) to be addressed sequentially.
• OCR aims to move toward a faceless, fully digital service model post-clearance.

Measures Taken by OCR:

The OCR has publicly acknowledged a major disruption in service delivery following the large-scale transfer of its former staff. With only a limited number of newly transferred personnel currently on-site, daily operations have been constrained. Nevertheless, the OCR is maintaining essential services through the following measures:

1. A designated Corporate Action Room has been created where new staff receive training and perform tasks in a supervised workshop-style format.
2. Applications already approved by former staff but pending due to digital signature delays are being prioritized for immediate completion.
3. Archived annual return-related notice letters are now automatically uploaded to companies’ CAMIS accounts, eliminating the need for separate follow-ups.
4. The new team is now handling name approval and company registration tasks, marking a return to procedural normalcy for front-end filings.
5. The office is accelerating efforts to clear a significant backlog of post-registration filings (e.g., amendments, share updates, board changes) with a goal of completion by the first week of Bhadra 2082 (mid-August 2025).
6. Following this, deregistration applications, starting with liquidation-related cases, will be processed in a phased manner.

Once the pending applications submitted through the CAMIS system have been cleared, OCR has reaffirmed its commitment to transforming its service delivery into a faceless, fully digital system, ensuring service seekers can process applications remotely within prescribed legal timelines.

The Government of Nepal, through the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supplies (“Ministry”), has issued a re-notification regarding mandatory registration for all businesses engaged in e-commerce activities. In line with the Electronic Commerce (E-Commerce) Act, 2081, all entrepreneurs conducting electronic business must register on the official e-commerce portal of the Department of Commerce, Supplies, and Consumer Protection (“Department”). This announcement was published on 2 Shrawan 2082 (18 July 2025). Additionally, under the E-commerce Act 2081 (2025), Chapter 2, Section 4, it is stipulated that every e-commerce platform is required to operate through a duly registered website.

Key Compliance Deadlines:

• Entrepreneurs already operating electronic businesses before the enactment of the Act must register by 2082 Shrawan 2, ie 18th July, 2025
• New entrepreneurs wishing to engage in e-commerce must register before commencing operations.

*Failure to comply may result in regulatory penalties or restrictions on business operations.*

Before the above announcement, an earlier notice was published on 18 Asar 2082 (2 July 2025). The announcement illustrates:

Details to be mentioned on the electronic platform:

1. Name of the e-commerce platform.
2. Business name, address, registered entity type, and registration certificate number.
3. Details of the registered office, head office, and any branches or outlets where the business is conducted, if any.
4. Details of any separate permission obtained to operate a specific type of business.
5. Information on whether the business operates as a direct seller, intermediary, or list-based platform.
6. Value Added Tax (VAT) Registration Number or Permanent Account Number (PAN).
7. Contact details of the business owner, including email address, telephone number, mobile number, fax, social media links, and designated contact details (email, telephone, and mobile) for customer service.
8. Email address, telephone or mobile number, and physical address of the person or unit responsible for handling customer complaints.
9. Listing number received after successful registration on the electronic trading portal.

Documents required:

1. Business name, address, and registered entity registration certificate number.
2. In the case of a private firm, the name and identifying details of the proprietor; in the case of a partnership firm, the name of the partner; and the case of a company or organization, the name and identifying details of the director.
3. The entrepreneur provided a clear description of the business.
4. Value Added Tax (VAT) Number or Permanent Account Number (PAN).
5. Telephone number, email address, social media link, and contact address of the business owner.
6. If there is a branch or outlet, its number and location.
7. Any other information required by the electronic portal.

The full text of notices published by the Department can be found below:

• Notice dated 2 Shrawan 2082 (18 July 2025)
• Notice dated 18 Asar 2082 (2 July 2025)