Trademark Gazette No. 372: Of 253 New Applications, Chinese Applicants Account for 69 — What Is Your Brand Still Waiting For?

第372期商标公报：253件新申请里，中国申请人占了69件——你的品牌还在等什么？

ສານການຄ້າສະບັບທີ 372: ໃນ 253 ຄຳຮ້ອງໃໝ່, ຜູ້ສະໝັກຈາກຈີນມີ 69 ຄົນ — ເຄື່ອງໝາຍຂອງທ່ານຍັງລໍຖ້າຫຍັງ?

Published: 2026-09-13 · LaoPaniti legal guides

Last week, a restaurant owner in Laos told me that after using his shop name for three years, he suddenly received a lawyer's letter saying that someone had already applied to register that name as a trademark. He was stunned: I was clearly using it first, so how could someone else still apply?

This is not an isolated case. Laos' trademark system is a first-to-file system — whoever submits the application first obtains the right, regardless of how long you have used it. Recently, the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) of Laos published 253 trademarks in Trademark Gazette No. 372, including 69 applications from China, 32 from Hong Kong, 17 from Singapore, 12 from Japan, and 10 from Thailand. Behind these numbers is a large number of brands being "enclosed."

Which classes are hottest in this issue of the Gazette?

According to the Nice Classification, the popular classes published in this issue are concentrated in:

Class 09 (24 items) — electronics, software, instruments
Class 03 (17 items) — daily chemicals, Cosmetics
Class 05 (16 items) — pharmaceuticals, health products
Class 32 (15 items) — beverages, beer
Class 30 (13 items) — Food, seasonings

If you are in these industries, pay special attention: once a Trademark in the same class is registered by someone else first, you will later either be forced to change your name or spend a large sum to buy it back.

The publication period is your "window period"

This issue of the Gazette also includes many familiar brands, such as TOMMY HILFIGER, TENSOPLAST, SEALION, TURBO, etc., involving Registration and Renewal. The significance of gazette publication is that anyone who believes a trademark should not be registered may file an opposition during the publication period.

But the reality is that many small and medium-sized Enterprise owners operating in Laos simply do not know where to check the gazette, let alone whether their brands have already been applied for by others. By the time they find out, the opposition period has often already passed.

Under the first-to-file system, self-checking is much cheaper than enforcing rights after the fact

Laos' trademark system follows the first-to-file principle, which means "first use" can hardly defeat "first filing." Rather than waiting until you receive a lawyer's letter to panic, it is better to conduct a similarity search in advance.

老法智 LaoPaniti provides a free online trademark similarity search tool. You can find the "Trademark Registration" entry in the workspace, enter the brand name and class, and quickly see whether there are identical or similar prior applications. A few minutes of self-checking may save you months or even years of brand disputes.

If you are not familiar with the trademark process in Laos, you can also refer to our previously compiled article, "Laos Trademark Gazette No. 366: 405 Trademarks Published, 77 from the United States, 60 from Japan, 58 from China — Is Your Brand Still Safe?", which explains in detail how to read the gazette and how to file an opposition.

A brand is one of the most valuable assets in doing business in Laos. Don't wait until someone shows up at your door with a registration certificate before remembering that you have not applied yet.

👉 Go now to https://www.123laoai.com to ask AI for free, conduct a trademark similarity search, and see whether your brand is safe.

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

FAQ

What is the Laos Trademark Gazette? Where can I view it?

The Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) of Laos periodically publishes a trademark gazette to make public trademark information such as new applications and renewals. This issue is No. 372 and publishes 253 trademarks. During the gazette publication period, anyone may file an opposition. You can view it through official DIP channels, or use 老法智 LaoPaniti's free similarity search tool for a quick self-check.

Why can someone else still register a brand I used first?

Laos' trademark system implements a first-to-file system, meaning whoever submits the trademark application first obtains the trademark Right. Prior use generally cannot defeat prior filing. So even if you have used it for a long time, if you have not submitted an application, and someone else files first and obtains Registration, you may instead be required to stop using it.

If I find that someone else has squatted on my brand, what should I do?

If the squatted trademark is still within the publication period, you may file an opposition with the Department of Intellectual Property of Laos. If it has already been registered, you may consider applying for cancellation or invalidation, but the procedure is more complex and the cost is higher. It is advisable to conduct a trademark similarity search as early as possible and handle risks promptly. 老法智 LaoPaniti provides a free online similarity search tool for self-checking first.

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