A trademark status tells you where your application stands and whether a deadline is running against you. The three that matter most: reply to an examination report within one month of receiving it, an advertised mark can be opposed for 4 months from the journal date, and a registered mark must be renewed every 10 years counted from the application date. This guide explains each trademark status meaning on IP India, what an objection or opposition involves, and works through real dates and fees for each deadline.
How to check your trademark status on IP India
The live status is on the IP India e-register, which now asks for an email address or mobile number, a captcha and a one-time password before it shows anything. The tool above explains the label you see; it does not read the live record.
- Open the IP India e-register ("Registered Trade Marks and Application Status Information").
- Enter your email or mobile number and the captcha, then request the OTP.
- Enter the OTP and verify.
- Look up your application and open the documents on file, such as an examination report, hearing notice or deficiency letter.
IP India does not publish an official glossary of status labels, and labels on the e-register can be spelt slightly differently from the ones above. Read the latest document on file, not only the label: it shows what the Registry wants from you and when it was issued.
What is the path from filing to registration?
A typical application passes a formality check, examination, acceptance, advertisement in the Trade Marks Journal and a 4-month opposition window before it is registered. Two events can stop it on the way: an objection in the examination report and an opposition after advertisement.
- Filing and formality check: "Formalities Chk Pass" or "Fail"; logos also show "Send to Vienna Codification".
- Examination: "Marked for Exam", then "Exam Report Issued".
- Objection, if any: "Objected", then a reply, and "Ready for Show Cause Hearing" if the reply does not satisfy the examiner.
- Acceptance and advertisement: "Accepted", then "Accepted & Advertised" once it appears in the journal.
- Opposition window: 4 months from the journal date; "Opposed" if someone files.
- Registration: "Registered", with protection counted from the application date.
You can ask for expedited processing on Form TM-M after you receive the application number. Rule 34 says such applications are ordinarily examined within three months. The fee, e-filing only, is ₹20,000 per class for individuals, startups and small enterprises and ₹40,000 for others.
Trademark objected: what the examiner checks and how to reply
"Objected" means the examination report raised objections, and the time limit for the objection reply is one month from receiving the report. Under rule 33 of the Trade Marks Rules 2017, the examiner searches earlier marks for identical or deceptively similar marks for the same or similar goods or services, and checks whether the mark is distinctive.
The objections usually fall under section 9 (the mark is descriptive or not distinctive) or section 11 (it conflicts with an earlier mark). A reply answers each objection with arguments and, where it helps, evidence of use or of distinctiveness, which rule 33 lets the Registrar take into account. You can also ask for a hearing.
- Reply accepted: the application is accepted and advertised.
- Reply not satisfactory, or a hearing asked for: the Registrar fixes a show cause hearing (rule 33(6)).
- No reply and no appearance at the hearing: the application may be treated as abandoned (rule 33(7)).
If the mark is refused, you have 30 days from the date the decision is communicated to ask the Registrar on Form TM-M for the written grounds (rule 36). The date you receive that statement counts as the date of the decision for an appeal, which lies to the High Court.
Worked example: from examination report to counter-statement
The tool counts each deadline from the date you enter. For the reply to an examination report it uses the earlier of one calendar month and 30 days, so you are never late whichever reading the Registry applies.
Example. Bluepeak Foods Private Limited (a made-up company) files a mark on 2 March 2026 and receives the examination report on 14 October 2026. One calendar month runs to 14 November and 30 days to 13 November, so the tool shows the reply as due on 13 November 2026. The mark is advertised in the journal of 1 March 2027, so the opposition window closes on 1 July 2027. A competitor's notice of opposition reaches the company on 15 June 2027, so the counter-statement is due by 15 August 2027. If the mark is registered, its first renewal falls on 2 March 2036, 10 years from the application date.
How does a trademark opposition run once it is filed?
An opposition filed within the 4-month opposition period is a written proceeding before the Registrar. The opponent files Form TM-O, you file a counter-statement on Form TM-O within 2 months of receiving it, both sides file evidence by affidavit, and a hearing follows. The official fee is ₹2,700 per class e-filed (₹3,000 on paper) for the notice and for the counter-statement.
- The Registrar ordinarily serves the notice within three months, but you can file the counter-statement from the copy on the official website without waiting (rule 42(5)).
- If only some classes are opposed, the others can proceed to registration once you ask on Form TM-M to divide the application and pay the divisional fee (rule 42(3) and (4)).
- Evidence follows the timetable in rules 45 to 47, set out in the deadlines table above. An opponent who files neither evidence nor a letter relying on the notice is treated as having abandoned the opposition.
- The first hearing date is at least one month after the notice. Each side may get at most two adjournments of up to 30 days each, asked for on Form TM-M at least three days before the hearing (rule 50).
- If the applicant does not appear, the application may be treated as abandoned; if the opponent does not appear, the opposition may be dismissed.
Trademark renewal: worked example with dates and fees
A registration lasts 10 years from the application date, not from the date on the certificate. Form TM-R can be filed up to one year before expiry, with a surcharge for 6 months after it, and with restoration within one year of expiry. The fee is per class and has no concession for individuals or startups.
Example. A mark in two classes was applied for on 10 March 2017 and registered on 5 December 2018. It expires on 10 March 2027. The renewal window opened on 10 March 2026, so on 20 October 2026 the tool shows it as open. On time, the e-filing fee is 2 × ₹9,000 = ₹18,000. Between 11 March and 10 September 2027 it is 2 × ₹13,500 = ₹27,000 with the surcharge. Until 10 March 2028 it can be restored and renewed for 2 × ₹18,000 = ₹36,000. After that it cannot be restored.
Two details from rules 58 and 60 are worth knowing. The Registry's RG-3 reminder is sent only if no renewal has been filed, and no more than six months before expiry, so do not wait for it. And restoration is not automatic: the Registrar must consider the interests of other affected persons before restoring a removed mark.
Common mistakes with trademark deadlines
Most missed deadlines come from counting from the wrong date. The objection reply runs from the date you receive the report, renewal runs from the application date, and a mark registered late has its own six-month window.
- Waiting for the RG-3 reminder before renewing.
- Counting the 10 years from the registration certificate.
- Missing the rule 58 window: a mark registered after its renewal date must be renewed within 6 months of the actual date of registration.
- Treating "Under Correspondence" as a status that needs nothing from you without opening the latest letter.
- Assuming an opposition deadline can be extended. The 4-month opposition window has no extension, and a missed counter-statement means the application is treated as abandoned (section 21(2)).
- Filing in the wrong class and finding out at examination. Check the classes first with the Trademark Class Finder.
How Ofin can help with trademark deadlines
Ofin drafts and files trademark objection replies from ₹2,499, handles oppositions from ₹5,488 and files trademark renewals from ₹11,999. For a new mark, see trademark registration.
