The cost to register a trademark in Sri Lanka depends on whether you’re filing as an individual or a company, how many trademark classes you include in your application, the size of your mark and the number of words in the list of goods and services.
Trademark registration costs mainly consist of the search fee, government filing fee, publication fee and certificate issuance fee. If you’re applying as an individual or sole proprietor, the cost is approximately LKR 10, 314 per class per application (inclusive of 18% VAT). This amount can vary depending on the number of goods/services listed in your application and the size of the mark published in the Gazette. For companies, partnerships, and other entities, the cost is approximately LKR 13,027 per class per application.
Keep in mind that the National Intellectual Property Office of Sri Lanka does not allow multi-class applications. You must file a separate application for each trademark class you wish to register your mark under.
Besides the government filing fees, there is an additional agency fee if you engage a Registered IP agent to conduct a trademark search, perform an infringement analysis, and file the application on your behalf.
If you’d like to register your trademark with the help of a Counselit Registered IP Agent, our legal team can handle the entire trademark registration process for you. The total cost, including our professional fee and government filing cost, would be LKR 13,499 for individuals and LKR 16,499 for companies and other entities.
Check out our individual and company trademark registration fee plans here.
Cost Saving Tips To Reduce Your Trademark Registration Costs
Trademark registration costs can feel expnesive if you’re a startup or a small business getting just started. The good news is there are smart ways to keep filing costs down without weakening your trademark protection. Below, we will walk you through five practical strategies to help you save money on trademark registration.
Pick the correct trademark class
When you apply for a trademark, your application must include a list of the goods and services you intend to use with your mark. For effective legal protection, you need to choose the correct trademark class(es) for the goods and services you offer under your brand name or logo. NIPO Sri Lanka uses the NICE Classification prescribed by the Nice Agreement concerning the international classification of goods and services. You can visit the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) website and do a quick search using the NICE Classification publication to identify the relevant class or classes for your product.
If you file in the wrong class, your trademark will not be protected from your direct or indirect competitors, and you will have to incur extra fees to submit a new application.
Limit the number of trademark classes
Registering your brand or logo across all relevant classes or several classes covering the full range of goods and services you offer, can give your trademark broader legal protection. This means if you’re a fashion designer selling ready-made denim t-shirts and trousers for women, and you also plan to offer custom-made embroidered motifs, and lace trims on your apparel, you can choose to register your brand under both Class 25 and Class 26. However, when you file your trademark across multiple classes, registration costs will increase significantly.
If you are concerned about budgeting your trademark costs, we recommend you initially file only in the core classes that are essential to your business activities. You can submit new applications for additional classes later, once your business expands. With that in mind, first make a list of the main goods and services you wish to use with your trademark. Next, identify the class(es) each of those goods and services fall under. This way, you can classify them under the relevant classes. Finally, consider your budget and prioritize the classes based on the risk of infringement from direct or indirect competitors or dilution from copycats.
Do a comprehensive trademark search
Do not file without conducting a proper trademark search. We strongly recommend doing a thorough trademark search even before you settle on a brand name or design your logo. A search can tell you whether your word mark or design meets the trademark eligibility criteria under the Intellectual Property Act No. 36 of 2003. It also checks the Sri Lanka trademark database to see if your mark is eligible for registration and whether there are any identical or similar trademarks already registered in the classes you plan to apply for.
Ideally, you would order your trademark search in Sri Lanka through Counselit.com. Our experienced IP agents will verify the availability of your mark for registration in each class and assess the likelihood of successful registration.
Learn how to do a trademark search in Sri Lanka.
Register a word mark
You can register your brand either as a word mark (brand name) or a device mark (logo). With a word mark, the trademark search process is much simpler, and it protects your brand name regardless of the font or design used. This means no one else can use a brand that sounds similar or copy your brand name using a different font or text style. Registering a word mark is also usually less expensive than registering a design mark because if the search shows your mark needs to be modified to make it distinctive, you won’t have to go back to a designer to redo your logo.
Work with a Registered IP Agent
Registered IP agents are lawyers who are knowledgeable in trademark and intellectual property laws. When you work with an IP agent, they make sure you file your trademark only under the relevant classes where your mark needs to be protected, and they help you avoid incurring extra costs for altering the trademark after filing.
If you have the required knowledge and time and are ready to face the pitfalls, you can register on your own to save the IP agent fee. However, keep in mind that the trademark examination alone usually takes 3-4 months to complete after filing your application. If your mark fails to clear examination, you must respond to NIPO office actions by filing prompt legal submissions. If you cannot justify your mark’s distinctiveness or miss the deadline, your trademark application will eventually be abandoned, and the filing fees are non-refundable.
Our Trademark Filing Process
Step 1: The Trademark Search & Availability Report
Our trademark filing process begins with an initial search to confirm the availability of your mark in the desired class. To commence the search, Trademark Search Agency Fee of LKR 3,000 is required. Within two business days of receiving this payment, we will conduct a comprehensive search in the IPAS trademark database in addition to a common law search and provide you with a search report confirming whether the mark is available for registration in the specified class or classes.
Step 2: Formal Agency Appointment
We only proceed with filing your trademark application after confirming the availability of your mark through a thorough search.
Once we confirm your mark is available for registration, you will formally appoint us as your dedicated IP Agent by signing a Power of Attorney (POA). A scanned copy of original POA with your wet-ink signature or e-signed POA is acceptable.
Step 3: File Your Trademark Application
Upon receipt of the duly signed POA and the remaining filing fee, we will submit the trademark application along with all supporting documents on your behalf. Your application submission will be completed within two business days.
Please note that the quoted fees include only the trademark search fee, government filing fee, certificate issuance fee, publication fee and our agency fee. Should you receive any official office actions from NIPO, or if your application is opposed by a third party during the publication stage, additional professional fees would apply for each representation or legal submission required on your behalf.
Don’t Risk Your Brand! Get Your Trademark Right the First Time.
Protecting your brand is essential, but getting your trademark filed right from the start is the most critical step. Choosing the correct class for your trademark is trickier than you think. Filing in the wrong class or missing key trademark classes can leave your brand exposed and vulnerable. That’s why our team of experienced IP lawyers and Registered IP Agents offer comprehensive end-to-end trademark registration support and guidance for local and foreign startup businesses to secure their brand identity from the outset.
When you work with a Counseit Registered IP Agent, you’ll get to enjoy the most competitive trademark registration fees in Sri Lanka and have access to expert legal advice to give your brand the strongest legal protection.
Ready to get started? Book a complimentary 30-minute consultation today or contact us at +96760011066.
