Patent, Design & Trademark Act, 2022: Protecting Your Brand

What this law means for your business, in 3 points

• Your filing date is your priority date: protection effectively begins the day you file, well before the ~18–24 month registration process completes.
• Wrong class, wrong protection: trademarks are registered per Nice Classification class; filing in the wrong class is the single most common reason for rejection or gaps in coverage.
• Unregistered brands have weaker legal standing: without registration, you're limited to harder-to-prove "passing off" claims if someone copies your name or logo.

What can be registered

• Wordmarks (business/product names)
• Device marks (logos)
• Combined marks (name + logo together)

Word and device marks can, and often should, be registered separately, since they protect different things.

The filing process, briefly

1. Clearance search against the existing DOI register
2. Correct class selection for your goods/services
3. Filing with a logo/wordmark specimen
4. Examination and public objection period
5. Certificate issued if no valid objection is raised

Need this handled for you?

We run the clearance search, pick the right classes, and file directly with the Department of Industry. See our trademark service →