Lao Trademark Gazette Issue 351: 374 New Trademarks Published, Chinese Applicants Top with 59 — Your Brand Name May Be Written into Someone Else's Application
老挝商标公报第351期：374件新商标公示，中国申请人59件居首——你的品牌名字，可能正被别人写进申请里
ໜັງສືປະກາດເຄື່ອງໝາຍການຄ້າລາວ ສະບັບທີ 351: 374 ເຄື່ອງໝາຍໃໝ່ຖືກປະກາດ, ຜູ້ຍື່ນຄຳຮ້ອງຈາກຈີນ 59 ລາຍການນຳໜ້າ — ຊື່ຍີ່ຫໍ້ຂອງທ່ານ, ອາດຈະຖືກຄົນອື່ນຂຽນໃສ່ໃນຄຳຮ້ອງ
Published: 2026-09-23 · LaoPaniti legal guides
A Real Scenario That Makes Business Owners Break Out in Cold Sweat
You've been running a milk tea shop in Vientiane for three years, your signboard is getting more and more famous, and customers recognize your brand. One day you suddenly receive a Notice: someone has filed a Trademark application for an identical name in Class 30 (coffee, tea, milk tea), and it has entered the publication period. You panic — I was clearly using it first, how did it become someone else's?
The answer lies in a core rule of the Lao Trademark system: first-to-file system. Whoever submits the application to the Department of Intellectual Property first occupies the spot. How long you've used it or how many shops you've opened are not decisive factors in the examiner's eyes.
What Signals Are Hidden in Issue 351 of the Gazette?
The Lao Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) Trademark Gazette Issue 351 has just been published, and several numbers are worth every business owner doing business in Laos pausing to take a look:
- Total number of Trademarks published in this issue: 374
- Popular classes are concentrated in: Class 09 (36), Class 03 (25), Class 12 (18), Class 35 (17), Class 05 (16)
- Top five Applicant countries of origin: China (59), Japan (48), United States (42), Thailand (29), Germany (25)
Among the Trademark examples published in this issue, HELLORIDE appears four times, along with Yibero, CELTO, DAISO, MELANONX, and others.
What do these numbers indicate? Class 09 (electronics, software, instruments) and Class 03 (daily chemicals, Cosmetics) are currently the most densely filed tracks, with the fiercest competition; and the number of Chinese Applicants ranks first, meaning your peers, your potential partners, and even the shop next door may all be quietly laying out Trademarks.
The Publication Period Is Not "Just Take a Look" — Don't Miss the Opposition Window
When a Trademark enters the publication period, it means it has passed preliminary examination and is being publicly solicited for opinions. According to the Lao Trademark system, opposition may be filed during the publication period. If you find that a published Trademark is identical or similar to a brand you have used earlier, this is the key window to stop its Registration — once missed, it becomes much harder to overturn after the Registration certificate is issued.
But what is more worth being vigilant about is: rather than waiting for someone else to publish and then filing an opposition, it is better to file your own brand application first. Under the first-to-file system, being one step late means being passive.
Free Similarity Search: Find Out in Three Minutes Whether Your Brand Is Safe
Many business owners don't not want to register, but don't know where to start: Has my name been filed by someone else first? Which class does it belong to? Will it conflict with someone else's prior rights?
LaoPaniti provides a free online Trademark similarity search tool. Open https://www.123laoai.com , enter the workspace → Trademark Registration, enter your brand name, and you can quickly self-check. No need to wait for a Lawyer or flip through the Gazette — get a preliminary understanding first, then decide what to do next.
Your brand is something you've built up day by day; don't let it become someone else's asset on paper.
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 the first to file wins the Trademark? I've used mine for years, doesn't that count?
The Lao Trademark system adopts the first-to-file system, meaning whoever submits the application first has priority to obtain Registration. Although prior use can in some cases serve as a basis for opposition or rights protection, overall the first-to-file party holds the initiative. It is recommended to submit an application as early as possible and not wait until someone else publishes theirs before rushing.
Which classes are the most crowded in Issue 351 of the Gazette? Which one should I pay attention to?
In this issue, Class 09 (36) and Class 03 (25) have the largest application volumes and the fiercest competition. If you are in electronics, software, daily chemicals, Cosmetics, or related industries, it is recommended to self-check as soon as possible whether your brand has already been applied for by others. Other popular classes also include Class 12, Class 35, and Class 05.
I suspect my brand has been filed first by someone else. What can I do now?
If the other party's Trademark has already entered the publication period, you may file an opposition during the publication period in accordance with the Lao Trademark system. If it has not yet been published, it is recommended to submit your own application as soon as possible. You can first use LaoPaniti's free Trademark similarity search tool (https://www.123laoai.com workspace → Trademark Registration) to self-check and understand the current status, then decide whether to seek professional legal advice.
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