Issue 364 Trademark Gazette Has Only 40 Marks: The Numbers Shrank, But the Risk of Trademark Squatting Has Not

第364期商标公报只有40件：数字变小了，抢注的风险可没变小

ສະບັບທີ 364 ຂອງຈົດໝາຍເຫດເຄື່ອງໝາຍການຄ້າມີພຽງ 40 ລາຍການ: ຕົວເລກຫຼຸດລົງ, ແຕ່ຄວາມສ່ຽງຕໍ່ການຈົດທະບຽນກ່ອນບໍ່ໄດ້ຫຼຸດລົງ

Published: 2026-09-15 · LaoPaniti legal guides

The Lao Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) has released Issue 364 of its Trademark Gazette, and the total number of marks published in this issue is only 40.

40 marks may not sound like much. Some business owners might think: only this few, surely it won't be my turn? On the contrary—the gazette is published issue after issue, and every mark published is a footprint of someone who has already moved ahead of you. Laos' Trademark system is first-to-file: whoever submits the Application first gets the Right first. If you are one day late, you may have to change your signboard.

Among the 40 marks in this issue, who is filing?

First, look at the top Applicant source countries: China 11, Korea 6, Vietnam 5, Switzerland 3, United States 3.

Chinese Applicants filed 11 marks, ranking first. What does this show? It shows that your peers, your neighboring shops, and even competitors you have not yet noticed have already submitted their brand names in Laos.

Now look at the classes. Among the popular Nice classifications in this issue, Class 03 has the most with 6; Classes 03, 05, 10, 16, 25, 39, 41, 42, and 44 each have 4; Class 05 has 3; Class 35 has 2; Class 09 has 2.

Class 03 covers daily chemical and cleaning Products, Class 25 covers clothing, Class 35 covers advertising and business operations, and Class 43 (food and accommodation) did not appear among this issue's popular classes, but it has always been one of the classes that shop owners care about most. No matter which industry you are in, as long as there is a name on your signboard, it falls into some class.

Examples of Trademarks published in this issue include: VIKVOBY, KHONDAYA, EMSUVAY, SENKA, VINMEC, NBDY NOBODY NOBODY'S, RILLY, accuton. Among these names, there may be one that sounds similar to or is written similarly to your signboard.

The publication period is not just for "taking a look"; it is an opposition window

When a Trademark enters gazette publication, it means it has reached a key stage before Authorization. According to the provisions of the Law, during the publication period, relevant Right holders may file an opposition against the published Trademark.

Reading this sentence in reverse is even more painful: if you discover it late, and the publication period passes and the Trademark is approved, then trying to get it back will be on a completely different level in terms of cost and difficulty.

Therefore, the truly valuable action for each gazette issue is not "watching the show," but self-checking against it:

Does my brand name appear in the published list?
Which Nice class do my Goods/Services fall into?
Is anyone applying for a similar name in a class where I have not yet registered?

Don't wait until you've been squatted on to check for conflicts

Many business owners have this habit: open the shop first, hang the signboard first, do business first, and deal with Registration "later." But under first-to-file, "later" is often the day someone else files first.

LaoPaniti provides a free online Trademark similarity search tool, accessible at https://www.123laoai.com under Workspace → Trademark Registration. Spending a few minutes on a self-check is much cheaper than changing your signboard, packaging, and materials afterward.

If you also want to understand other Compliance issues involved in doing business in Laos, you can also take a look at these two articles: "Opening a Shop in Laos: When Exactly Are Taxes Due?—A 2021 Revised Law Makes the Timeline Clear" (https://www.123laoai.com/guide/217), and "48 Trademarks Crowd Into Issue 365 Gazette: China 16, Korea 14—Your Signboard May Be Being Queued Up and Squatted On by Others" (https://www.123laoai.com/guide/216).

This issue has 40 marks; the next may have more. Your brand deserves to be one step earlier.

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

FAQ

Laos' Trademark system is first-to-file. What exactly does that mean?

First-to-file means whoever submits the Trademark Application first obtains the Right first. Even if you used the brand first, if someone else files first, your position will be very passive. Therefore, it is advisable to check for conflicts and file as early as possible.

Issue 364 of the gazette published 40 Trademarks. Where can I see the complete list?

This issue of the gazette was released by the Lao Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), and the total number of published Trademarks is 40. You can do a preliminary self-check against the example names and classes in this issue, or go to LaoPaniti at https://www.123laoai.com under Workspace → Trademark Registration to use the free online Trademark similarity search tool.

If I find that someone else's published Trademark is very similar to my brand, what can I do?

According to the provisions of the Law, an opposition may be filed during the publication period. The key is not to miss this publication-period window. It is advisable to first conduct a similarity search and organize evidence, and consult a professional if necessary.

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