275 Trademarks Crowd into Issue No. 362: Class 09 Hottest, 71 from Chinese Applicants — Is Your Brand Still "Running Naked"?
275件商标挤进第362期公报：第09类最火，中国申请人71件——你的品牌还在“裸奔”吗？
275 ເຄື່ອງໝາຍການຄ້າເຂົ້າໃນສານປະກາດສະບັບທີ 362: ປະເພດທີ 09 ຮ້ອນແຮງທີ່ສຸດ, ຜູ້ຍື່ນຄຳຮ້ອງຈີນ 71 ລາຍການ — ແບຣນຂອງທ່ານຍັງ 'ເປົ່າ' ຢູ່ບໍ່?
Published: 2026-09-18 · LaoPaniti legal guides
You've just gotten your business running smoothly in Laos, your sign is up, and then one day you scroll past a trademark gazette and see someone applying to register a name almost identical to yours — this isn't a joke, it's something that can happen in every issue of the trademark gazette from the Lao Department of Intellectual Property (DIP).
In the recently published Issue No. 362 of the trademark gazette, a total of 275 trademarks were published. The number itself isn't scary; what's scary is the rule behind it: Laos' trademark system is "first-to-file." Whoever submits the application first claims that name. Using it earlier or selling well doesn't count.
In Issue No. 362, Who Is Grabbing Which Classes?
First, the classes. The top five Nice classes in this issue are: Class 09 (23), Class 35 (20), Class 07 (16), Class 12 (12), and Class 03 (12). Class 09 usually covers electronics and instruments, while Class 35 covers advertising, business operations, retail, and other services — those doing trade, opening stores, or running e-commerce easily collide with these two classes.
Next, applicant countries of origin. Chinese applicants rank first with 71, Japan and Thailand each have 47, the United States has 33, and South Korea has 12. In other words, your peers around you and your multinational competitors are all submitting materials to the Lao trademark office.
Among the trademarks published in this issue, names such as KOMAX, MILLENNIUM, DURAVIT, OCBC, and MONEYGRAM can be seen, and some are marked "Registration" and "Renewal." During the publication period, anyone may file an opposition — if you find that your brand has been squatted on, this is your window to act; conversely, if you haven't applied yourself, when someone else publishes, it will be very hard for you to even stand on the qualification to oppose.
Under First-to-File, "I Used It Earlier" Is Not a Talisman
Many bosses have a misconception: I've had a store in Laos for three years, and the sign, menu, and packaging all use this name — doesn't that make it mine?
In Laos, the basic logic of trademark rights is "first to file." If you haven't submitted an application and someone else has, once the subsequent process is completed, you may instead become the infringing party. We previously discussed "Issue No. 364 of the Trademark Gazette Has Only 40 Items: The Number Got Smaller, but the Risk of Squatting Has Not" (https://www.123laoai.com/guide/219), which makes exactly this point: whether the gazette has more or fewer items has no direct relationship to your risk; the key is whether you have claimed your own name.
Among the 275 items in Issue No. 362, Class 09 and Class 35 are the most crowded, precisely the areas where Chinese enterprises cluster. If you delay one day, there may be one more person submitting an application.
Before You Act, Run a Free Similarity Search First
Don't rush to spend money hiring a representative. Step one: first figure out whether your brand name and LOGO have already been applied for or registered. LaoPaniti provides a free online trademark similarity search tool, accessible at Workbench → Trademark Registration, with the URL https://www.123laoai.com. After checking, then decide whether to submit an application and whether to oppose someone else's publication. With a clear picture, your money will be spent accurately.
A brand is the thing most easily overlooked and most easily taken away in a Laos business. Issue No. 362 of the gazette is already sitting there; the next name had better not be yours.
This article was compiled by LaoPaniti and is for reference only; it does not constitute legal advice.
FAQ
Is it really true that in Laos, whoever applies first for a trademark gets it?
According to the Law, Laos' trademark system adopts first-to-file. For identical or similar trademarks, the party that submits the application first generally obtains priority, and prior use by itself does not automatically create trademark rights.
After a trademark is published, if I think it has been squatted on, what can I still do?
According to the Law, an opposition may be filed during the trademark publication period. If you believe the published trademark conflicts with your prior rights, you should file an opposition through the procedure during the publication period; the specific time limit and material requirements are subject to the competent authority's rules.
Why are Class 09 and Class 35 the classes with the largest number of applications in Issue No. 362?
This issue of the gazette shows 23 items in Class 09 and 20 in Class 35, the top two hottest classes. These two classes respectively cover electronics and instruments and advertising, business operations, retail, and other services, and overlap heavily with business scenarios such as trade, stores, and e-commerce, so applications are relatively concentrated.
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