| May, 2026 | Desk: Brand & IP Law | 16 min read · 3658 words |
A trademark registration is not permanent. Under Pakistani trademark law, a registered trademark is valid for ten years from the filing date. After that, it must be renewed, and it must be renewed again every ten years indefinitely. A trademark that is not renewed lapses, and a lapsed trademark is a trademark that anyone can file for, use commercially, or exploit in ways that directly damage the business that built it.
Trademark renewal is one of the most overlooked aspects of brand management in Pakistan. Businesses invest significant time, money, and professional fees in obtaining trademark registration. They then allow those registrations to lapse through administrative oversight, missed deadlines, or the simple failure to track a date that falls a decade after the filing.
This guide explains everything a Pakistani business needs to know about trademark renewal: when to renew, how to renew, what happens if the deadline is missed, the consequences of a lapsed trademark, and how to build renewal management into the operational calendar of any business that takes its brand seriously.
The renewal windows at a glance
| Window | When | Fee | Status during window |
| Renewal window | Up to 6 months before expiry | Standard fee only | Active ✔ |
| Grace period | 0–6 months after expiry | Standard fee + surcharge | Active but surcharge applies |
| Restoration | Within 1 year of removal | Fees + surcharges + explanation | Removed — discretionary |
| Re-filing | After 1 year of removal | New application fees | New priority date only |
| ⚠ Key rule: filing date, not certificate date |
| The renewal date is ten years from the filing date of the original trademark application, not from the date on which the registration certificate was issued. A business that filed in January 2015 and received its registration certificate in January 2017 has a trademark that expires in January 2025, not January 2027. Always verify your renewal date from the filing date recorded on your registration certificate. |
The legal framework: what the law says
Trademark registration in Pakistan is governed by the Trade Marks Ordinance 2001. Under this ordinance, a registered trademark is valid for a period of ten years from the date of registration. The date of registration is the filing date of the original application, not the date on which the registration certificate was issued.
After expiry, a trademark can be renewed for successive periods of ten years each by paying the prescribed renewal fee before expiry or within the grace period that follows expiry. There is no limit on the number of times a trademark can be renewed. A trademark that is continuously renewed remains on the register indefinitely and continues to provide its owner with the full bundle of exclusive rights in the registered classes.
Renewal fees at IPO Pakistan in 2025
As of 2025, the government renewal fee at IPO Pakistan is PKR 3,000 per class for individual applicants and PKR 9,000 per class for companies. These fees are payable for each class in which the trademark is registered. A company renewing a trademark registered in three classes pays PKR 27,000 in government renewal fees.
The late renewal surcharge during the grace period adds a percentage to the standard renewal fee. The exact surcharge rate should be verified with IPO Pakistan or a trademark professional at the time of renewal, as fees and rates are subject to revision. In addition to government fees, businesses using trademark professionals to manage the renewal process will incur professional service fees.
| 💡 Pro tip |
| The renewal fee for a trademark registered in two classes as a company is PKR 18,000 in government fees. This is the cost of maintaining a registered trademark for an entire decade. Put that in context: if your brand name has driven even a single meaningful commercial transaction, the renewal fee is almost certainly less than the value created. There is no commercial justification for allowing a trademark to lapse through administrative failure. |
What a lapsed trademark means commercially
The consequences of a lapsed trademark are more severe than most business owners understand when they first discover that their registration has expired.
When a trademark is removed from the IPO Pakistan register for non-renewal, the former trademark owner loses all the rights that registration conferred. They can no longer bring an infringement action based on the registration. They can no longer use the registered trademark symbol alongside their brand name. They can no longer prevent others from registering the same or a similar mark at IPO Pakistan.
The brand name does not disappear from the market when the trademark lapses. The business may continue using it. Other businesses may also begin using it or may file to register it themselves. The former trademark owner has reverted to the significantly weaker position of a common law user relying on passing-off rights rather than a registered trademark holder with full statutory enforcement rights.
A lapsed trademark can also affect commercial relationships. Partners, licensees, franchisees, investors, and acquirers who conduct due diligence on the business’s intellectual property portfolio will discover the lapsed registration. A brand presented as trademarked but whose registration has lapsed is a misrepresentation with legal and commercial consequences.
The revival process: what happens after the grace period
If a trademark owner misses both the renewal window and the grace period, the trademark is removed from the register. This is not necessarily irreversible, but recovery requires a more complex process than a standard renewal.
IPO Pakistan provides a mechanism for the restoration of a trademark that has been removed from the register for non-renewal. An application for restoration must be made within one year of the date of removal. The restoration application must be accompanied by the standard renewal fee, the applicable surcharges, and an explanation of the circumstances that led to the failure to renew. IPO Pakistan has discretion to accept or refuse a restoration application, and the outcome is not guaranteed.
If a restoration application is refused, or if the one-year restoration window has also passed, the former trademark owner may be able to file a new trademark application for the same mark. However, this new application will have a new filing date and a new priority date, losing the seniority that the original registration had accumulated. During the period between removal and re-registration, the mark may have been filed by a third party, creating a conflict that must be resolved through cancellation proceedings or negotiation.
| ⚠ Real-world example |
| A Lahore-based food and beverage brand had a trademark registered in Class 30 that lapsed during a period of financial difficulty. The brand continued to operate, assuming the lapse was a minor administrative issue that could be fixed later. A third party who monitored IPO Pakistan for lapsed marks in commercially active sectors filed the brand’s name within two months of removal from the register. By the time the food and beverage brand attempted to restore its trademark, the new filing was already on the register with a more recent priority date. The brand initiated cancellation proceedings arguing prior use. The proceedings required extensive documentation of commercial history going back years and took eighteen months to resolve. The outcome in cancellation proceedings based on prior use is not guaranteed. The cost of the cancellation proceedings was more than twenty times what a timely renewal would have cost. |
How to renew a trademark at IPO Pakistan: step by step
Step 1: Identify the renewal date well in advance
The renewal date is ten years from the filing date of the original trademark application. This date is recorded on the registration certificate issued by IPO Pakistan. It is good practice to record the renewal date in the business’s operational calendar at the time the registration certificate is received, with advance reminders set at twelve months, six months, and three months before the renewal date. A renewal identified twelve months in advance can be prepared and submitted without any urgency.
Step 2: Verify the current registration details
Before filing a renewal application, verify that the registration details are current and accurate. If the trademark owner’s name has changed through a business restructuring, acquisition, or incorporation, the registration records should be updated to reflect the current owner before renewal. Renewing a trademark with incorrect ownership details creates a mismatch between the register and the actual commercial reality, causing complications in enforcement proceedings and due diligence processes.
Step 3: Confirm the classes to be renewed
A trademark owner may hold registrations in multiple classes. Confirm which classes are to be renewed before filing. In principle, all active classes should be renewed. If a business has genuinely discontinued commercial activity in a particular class, they may choose not to renew in that class, but this should be a deliberate commercial decision, not an administrative oversight. Once a class registration lapses, a third party can register the same mark in that class.
Step 4: Prepare and submit the renewal application
The renewal application is submitted to IPO Pakistan through the e-services portal or in person at the Islamabad office. The application requires the trademark registration number, the classes being renewed, the owner’s details, and payment of the renewal fees. If you are using a trademark professional to manage the renewal, provide them with the registration details and instruct them to proceed well within the renewal window.
Step 5: Retain the renewal certificate
After processing the renewal, IPO Pakistan issues a renewal certificate confirming that the trademark has been renewed for a further period of ten years from the original filing date. This certificate is an important business document that should be retained alongside the original registration certificate as part of the business’s intellectual property records.
Step 6: Update the calendar for the next renewal
Immediately after completing the renewal, set reminders in the business’s operational calendar for the next renewal period. Set advance reminders at twelve months, six months, and three months before the next renewal deadline. If the business uses a trademark professional on an ongoing basis, confirm that the professional’s records reflect the updated renewal date.
| 💡 Pro tip |
| The single most reliable safeguard against missed renewals is redundancy: record the renewal date in three separate places simultaneously. Record it in the business’s operational calendar. Record it in a dedicated trademark register document. Confirm it with your trademark professional’s records. All three of these reminders must simultaneously fail for a renewal to be missed. In practice, this level of redundancy makes missed renewals almost impossible. |
Building trademark renewal into business operations
Maintain a trademark register
A trademark register is a simple document or spreadsheet that records every trademark held by the business, the registration number, the filing date, the registered classes, the renewal date, and the current status. This register should be maintained by a designated individual in the business and reviewed at least annually. Any change in the trademark portfolio should be immediately reflected in the register.
Use professional management for significant portfolios
Professional management through a trademark attorney or agent provides the most reliable safeguard against missed renewals. A trademark professional maintains their own records of client trademark portfolios and sends renewal reminders proactively. For businesses where trademark assets are commercially significant, the professional fee for ongoing portfolio management is modest relative to the risk of losing a registration through administrative failure.
Manage trademark transitions carefully during restructuring
For businesses that are acquired, restructured, or that experience significant management changes, ensuring that trademark renewal obligations are explicitly included in the transition documentation is essential. Acquisitions and restructurings frequently result in incomplete knowledge transfer about intellectual property assets and their maintenance obligations. A new management team that does not know a trademark renewal is due in six months will miss it.
| ⚠ Real-world example |
| A Pakistani clothing brand had registered its trademark in Class 25 ten years ago. The registration had been filed by the founder personally. The business had grown significantly since then, operated as a company, and had hired a management team. The founder had moved into a board role and was no longer involved in day-to-day operations. The trademark renewal date arrived and passed without anyone noticing. No one in the current management team knew the trademark existed, let alone that it was due for renewal. The founder had never formally transferred the trademark to the company. Six months after expiry, still within the grace period, a trademark watch service flagged the lapse. The company initiated a late renewal application. Because the mark was still registered to the founder personally, the application required the founder’s involvement, a formal assignment from the founder to the company, and payment of both renewal surcharges and assignment fees. The process was eventually resolved successfully, but it took four months and cost significantly more than a timely renewal combined with a properly documented assignment would have. The three simultaneous failures were: no trademark register, no renewal reminder system, and no formal documentation of the trademark ownership transition when the business was incorporated. |
Common mistakes businesses make with trademark renewal
Losing track of the renewal date
The renewal date is a fixed date that does not change. The only way to miss it is to fail to track it. Businesses that do not maintain a trademark register or diarise renewal obligations with advance reminders are creating entirely preventable risk. The renewal date should be recorded immediately when the registration certificate is received and should never be allowed to be forgotten.
Confusing the certificate date with the filing date
The registration certificate is issued significantly after the filing date. The renewal date is based on the filing date, not the certificate date. A business that calculates its renewal date from the certificate date rather than the filing date will miss the actual renewal deadline, potentially by years. Always verify the renewal date from the filing date as recorded on the registration certificate.
Treating the grace period as a routine extension
The six-month grace period after expiry exists as a safety net for genuine administrative oversights, not as a routine extension of the renewal window. Relying on the grace period as a matter of course creates compounding risk: if the grace period reminder is also missed, the trademark is removed from the register and restoration proceedings are required. Treat the renewal window before expiry as the real deadline and the grace period as the emergency fallback only.
Failing to update ownership records before renewal
If a trademark registered in an owner’s personal name has been built into a business operated through a company, or if a trademark has been acquired as part of a business acquisition, the ownership records at IPO Pakistan should be updated before the renewal. Renewing a trademark in an incorrect owner’s name creates legal complications that are more expensive to resolve than the assignment documentation would have been.
Not renewing in all relevant classes
A business that renews in some classes but not others creates protection gaps. Each class registration that lapses is independently available for others to file. The cost of renewing in all registered classes is typically modest. The cost of losing protection in a class and needing to recover it is not.
Frequently asked questions
What is the renewal fee for a trademark in Pakistan in 2025?
As of 2025, the government renewal fee at IPO Pakistan is PKR 3,000 per class for individuals and PKR 9,000 per class for companies. A company renewing a trademark registered in two classes pays PKR 18,000 in government fees. Late renewal during the grace period incurs an additional surcharge. Professional service fees for renewal management are charged separately by trademark attorneys and agents.
Can I renew a trademark that has already lapsed past the grace period?
If the trademark has been removed from the register after the grace period has expired, you can apply for restoration within one year of removal. A restoration application requires payment of fees and surcharges, an explanation of the circumstances of the non-renewal, and is subject to IPO Pakistan’s discretion. If the restoration window has also passed, you can file a new trademark application, but you lose the original priority date and the seniority of the original registration.
Does a trademark renewal extend the registration for another ten years from the renewal date?
No. The renewed registration runs for ten years from the original filing date, not from the renewal date. If your trademark was filed in March 2015 and you renew it in January 2025, the renewed registration is valid until March 2025, and the next renewal is due in March 2025 again. The ten-year cycle always aligns with the original filing date, regardless of when the renewal is processed.
Can I renew only some of the classes my trademark is registered in?
Yes. A trademark owner can choose to renew in some classes and allow the registration to lapse in others. This might be appropriate if the business has genuinely discontinued commercial activity in a particular class. However, allowing a class to lapse should be a deliberate commercial decision made with an understanding of the consequences, including the risk that a third party registers the mark in the lapsed class.
What happens to licensees and franchisees if a trademark lapses?
If a trademark that is the subject of a licence or franchise agreement lapses, the licensee or franchisee may no longer have a valid trademark to operate under, depending on the agreement’s terms. This is a compelling reason why franchise agreements and licensing arrangements should include provisions requiring the trademark owner to maintain registration and provide evidence of renewal, and why licensees and franchisees should track renewal dates independently and have contractual remedies if the owner fails to renew.
Final thoughts
Trademark registration is a ten-year commitment, not a one-time filing. Every registration that a business obtains through months of examination and professional investment must be maintained through timely renewal, or the investment is lost and the brand name becomes vulnerable.
The renewal process itself is simple. The renewal fee is modest. The deadline is fixed and known from the moment the registration certificate is issued. There is no excuse for missing it other than administrative failure, and administrative failure is entirely preventable through basic operational discipline.
Record the renewal date. Set advance reminders. Renew before expiry. Repeat every ten years. The trademark that a business built is worth protecting indefinitely. The cost of protecting it indefinitely is the renewal fee, payable once every decade. That is a very small investment for a very large commercial asset.
| Get started with TM |
| TM helps Pakistani businesses manage their trademark portfolios and renewal obligations — from timely renewal applications and late renewal during the grace period through to restoration applications and new filings where registrations have lapsed. Visit: tm.com.pk/contact Email: contact@tm.com.pk Phone: 03-111-456-456 |