Trademark Status Meanings: Every IP India Status Explained
Every status on the IP India e-register in the order an application meets it, what it means, and which ones start a deadline.
- Written by
- Advocate, intellectual property
- Reviewed by
- Registered Trade Marks Agent
- Updated
- · 8 min read
A trademark status is the label the IP India e-register shows for the last step taken on your application. Most statuses, such as New Application, Formalities Chk Pass and Marked for Exam, need nothing from you. Four do: Formalities Chk Fail, Objected, Opposed and, once the ten years run out, renewal of a Registered mark. Each starts a fixed deadline.
- Reviewed by
- Registered Trade Marks Agent
- Last updated
On this page · 7 sections
How do you read a trademark status on IP India?
Open the Trade Marks e-Register, choose the status option, and enter your application number. The page asks for a one-time password and a captcha. It then shows the applicant, the class, the current status and the documents issued on the file, such as an examination report or a hearing notice.
Read the status together with those documents. The status names the last internal step; the documents tell you what the Registry wants. A file can show Objected for weeks after a reply was filed, because the label changes only when an officer acts on the reply, not when the reply arrives.
Two practical points. First, the Registry sends examination reports and notices by email to the address on the application, so the address must be monitored. Second, the labels are short and some are abbreviated ("Chk" for check, "Exam" for examination). The table below decodes each one.
In what order do trademark statuses appear?
Most applications follow the left-hand column. The branches on the right are the statuses that start a deadline.
Scroll sideways to see the whole diagram.
What does each trademark status mean?
In the order an application meets them. "Action" means something must be filed or attended by a deadline.
| Status | What it means | What happens next | Action needed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Application | Filed on Form TM-A and numbered; not yet processed | Vienna codification for a logo, then the formalities check | No. You may use ™ |
| Send to Vienna Codification | The logo’s figurative elements are being coded under the Vienna Classification | Formalities check and examination | No. Word marks skip this step |
| Formalities Chk Pass | The filing details were checked and nothing is missing | Allotment to an examiner | No |
| Formalities Chk Fail | A deficiency was found in the filing | Notice to remedy it | Yes: within one month of the notice (rule 31) |
| Marked for Exam | In the queue for, or with, an examiner | Acceptance or an examination report | No. Expedited examination is possible (rule 34) |
| Objected | The examination report raises objections under section 9, section 11 or on formalities | Your written reply, then acceptance or a hearing | Yes: reply within one month of receiving the report (rule 33) |
| Exam Report Issued | Where shown, the examination report is out and published on the file | As for Objected if the report raises objections | Read the report the same day |
| Accepted & Advertised | Accepted and published in the Trade Marks Journal | Four months in which anyone may oppose | No, unless opposed |
| Advertised before Accepted | Published before acceptance, under the proviso to section 20(1) | Opposition period, then a decision on acceptance | Watch the file |
| Opposed | A notice of opposition on Form TM-O was filed | Counter-statement, evidence and an opposition hearing | Yes: counter-statement within two months of receiving the notice |
| Registered | Entered on the register; certificate issued | Protection for ten years from the filing date | Renew on Form TM-R before expiry |
| Refused | The Registrar refused the application, with written grounds (section 18) | Appeal, or a fresh application | Yes, if you want to challenge it |
| Abandoned | A deadline was missed, or the applicant did not pursue the application | Nothing further, unless the order is set aside | Ask for advice at once |
| Withdrawn | The applicant asked the Registry to withdraw it | File closed | No |
| Removed | A registered mark was taken off the register, usually for non-renewal | Restoration is possible within one year of expiry | Yes, if you still use the mark |
Wording of the labels as commonly shown on the e-register; IP India does not publish an official list. When the label and the documents on the file disagree, the documents govern.
Which statuses start a deadline?
Every fixed period below comes from the Trade Marks Act, 1999 or the Trade Marks Rules, 2017. Everything else on a trademark file runs at the Registry’s pace.
| Status or event | Deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Formalities Chk Fail (deficiency notice) | One month from the date of the notice, or the application is treated as abandoned | Rule 31 |
| Objected (examination report) | One month from receiving the report; the Registrar may then treat the application as abandoned | Rule 33(4) |
| No reply filed | IP India’s manual describes a further notice giving one more month before an abandonment order | Section 132; Manual para 3.2.1 |
| Accepted & Advertised | Oppositions within four months of the Journal’s publication | Section 21(1); rule 42 |
| Opposed | Counter-statement within two months of receiving the notice of opposition | Section 21(2); rule 44 |
| Refused | Written grounds may be requested on Form TM-M within 30 days, for an appeal | Rule 36 |
| Registered | Renewal may be filed up to one year before expiry; six months’ grace with a surcharge; restoration within one year of expiry | Section 25; rules 57 to 60 |
Rule 109 allows some periods under the Rules to be extended by up to one month on Form TM-M. Periods fixed by the Act itself, such as the counter-statement period, cannot be extended that way.
How long does each trademark status last?
There is no fixed answer, and no reliable one. Apart from the deadlines above, the time an application spends at each status depends on the Registry’s workload, and IP India does not publish a current average for each stage. Treat any single figure you see quoted with caution.
What the law does fix is this:
- Expedited examination. On a request on Form TM-M, rule 34 says the application is "ordinarily" examined within three months of the request, and the later stages are expedited too. It does not shorten the four-month opposition period.
- The opposition window. Four months from the Journal (rule 42), whatever the workload.
- Registration date. A registered mark is registered as of the application date (section 23), so waiting does not cost you priority.
Our guide to how long trademark registration takes sets out realistic paths through these stages.
What should you do if the status has not changed for months?
First, rule out a missed document. Open the file on the e-register and look at the documents and correspondence, not only the status. An examination report or hearing notice may have been issued to an email address nobody checks.
Then match the status to the cause:
- Stuck at Formalities Chk Pass or Marked for Exam. Usually a queue. If the application has not been examined, expedited examination under rule 34 is available.
- Objected long after a reply. The reply is waiting for an officer. If a show cause hearing is listed, the hearing notice will be on the file.
- Accepted & Advertised after the four months. If no opposition was filed, the next step is registration. If one was filed, the status changes to Opposed when it is processed.
An agent on record can raise a written request with the Registry where a file has genuinely stalled. Do not file a second application for the same mark to "restart" the process: it creates a conflicting file in your own name.
Questions about trademark statuses
What does "Objected" mean in trademark status?
The examiner has issued an examination report raising objections, for example that the mark is descriptive (section 9) or similar to an earlier mark (section 11). A written reply is due within one month of receiving the report. Our objection reply service handles the reply and any hearing.
Can I use the ® symbol when my status is Accepted & Advertised?
No. ® may be used only once the status is Registered. Using it earlier falsely represents the mark as registered, which attracts a monetary penalty under section 107. Use ™ until then; our guide to TM and ® explains the rule.
What does "Send to Vienna Codification" mean?
Your mark has a logo or other figurative element, and the Registry’s Vienna Codification section is coding those elements under the Vienna Classification so that later searches can find them. It needs no action and is followed by the formalities check and examination.
What is the difference between Opposed and Objected?
Objected means the Registry’s own examiner has concerns, answered by a reply and, if needed, a show cause hearing. Opposed means a third party has filed Form TM-O after advertisement, which starts a contested case with a counter-statement, evidence and an opposition hearing.
Can an abandoned trademark application be revived?
Sometimes. Where the abandonment followed a notice you never received, or an error, the Registrar can be asked to review the order. Otherwise the only route is a fresh application, which takes a new filing date. Act quickly: someone else may file in the meantime.
What does "Removed" mean for a registered trademark?
The registration has been taken off the register, most often because it was not renewed. Under section 25(4) it can be restored within one year of expiry on Form TM-R with the restoration fee. See trademark renewal.
