Lao Trademark Bulletin Issue 361: 309 Trademarks Published, Your Brand May Have Been Preemptively Registered by Others

老挝商标公报第361期：309件商标公示，你的品牌可能已被他人抢先注册

ຈົດໝາຍເຫດສິນຄ້າເຄື່ອງໝາຍການຄ້າລາວສະບັບທີ່ 361: ມີເຄື່ອງໝາຍການຄ້າ 309 ລາຍການຖືກປະກາດ, ຍີ່ຫໍ້ຂອງທ່ານອາດຖືກຄົນອື່ນຂຶ້ນທະບຽນກ່ອນແລ້ວ

Published: 2026-09-02 · LaoPaniti legal guides

In the early morning in Vientiane, you open your shop and discover that a new milk tea shop with the same name has opened next door, and the logo on the sign is exactly the same as yours. You are trembling with anger, but you are told that the other party has already filed a trademark registration application—in Laos, trademarks are on a "first-to-file" basis, and whoever files first owns the brand. This is not an exaggeration, but a real story happening in the 361st issue of the trademark bulletin just released by the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) of Laos.

This Issue: 309 Trademarks, Chinese Applicants Account for Nearly 30%

This issue publishes 309 trademarks, covering food, beverages, electronics, automobiles, and other fields. Among them, popular classes are concentrated in Class 30 (coffee, tea, etc., 25 items), Class 32 (beer, beverages, 21 items), Class 09 (electronic devices, 18 items), Class 12 (automobiles and parts, 17 items), and Class 29 (food, 14 items).

In terms of applicant origin, China ranks first with 82 items, followed by the United States with 36, Germany with 24, Thailand with 24, and Switzerland with 18. This means that a large number of brands from China are laying out trademarks in Laos, and your brand may be among them, or—it may not yet be registered.

First-to-File: One Step Late, the Brand May Change Hands

Laos implements a "first-to-file" system, meaning that whoever submits a trademark application to the DIP first owns the trademark right. Even if you use it first, open a store first, or advertise first, as long as someone else files before you, you may lose ownership of the brand and even be counterclaimed for infringement.

Among the trademarks published in this issue, there are international brands like "brembo" and "WESTAR", as well as common names like "ROADSTONE" and "MARTINI". If your brand name is similar to these published trademarks, or if you are planning to register a new brand, you must first conduct a search to avoid conflicts.

Publication Period: Your Window for Opposition

The good news is that during the publication period, any interested party has the right to file an opposition. If you find that someone has preemptively registered your brand, or if the published trademark conflicts with your prior rights, you can submit an opposition application to the DIP within the publication period. However, there are strict deadlines for opposition, and once missed, it is difficult to recover.

Self-Check in Three Steps

1. Search: Before filing an application, first use the free online search tool of LaoPaniti (https://www.123laoai.com Workbench → Trademark Registration) to check whether your brand is similar to prior trademarks.
2. Monitor: Regularly check the DIP trademark bulletin to see if any trademarks similar to your brand are published.
3. Act: Once a risk is found, consult professionals in time to prepare for opposition or adjust strategies.

A trademark is the "ID card" of a brand. In Laos, a first-to-file country, being one step late may mean being late at every step. Don't let your brand shine under someone else's name. Open LaoPaniti now and check for free: is your trademark safe?

This article is compiled by LaoPaniti for reference only and does not constitute legal advice.

需要人办？相关服务在线提交 · ບໍລິການທີ່ກ່ຽວຂ້ອງ · Get it done

商标查重与近似风险初筛ຊ່ວຍຈົດທະບຽນເຄື່ອງໝາຍການຄ້າ

先做完全相同与近似风险初筛，输出可读风险摘要，再决定是否进入注册或人工复核。

在线提交需求 · ສົ່ງຄຳຂໍອອນລາຍ →

商标注册申请ຊ່ວຍຈົດທະບຽນເຄື່ອງໝາຍການຄ້າ

商标查重、类别建议、材料预审、递交路径辅导。