Trademark Registration in Indonesia for Foreign Brand Owners
Indonesia is first-to-file: the mark belongs to whoever files at DJKI first, not whoever used it first. We search your mark, map the right classes and get the application filed within about one week of complete documents.
On this page
- Why first-to-file matters for foreign brands
- Nice classes: protection only where you file
- Search before you file
- Process and realistic timeline
- Madrid Protocol or national filing?
- Foreign applicants must file through a registered IP consultant
- Bad-faith filings and squatting
- 10-year term, renewal and costs
Why first-to-file matters for foreign brands
Indonesian trademark rights come from registration at DJKI (Directorate General of Intellectual Property, Ministry of Law), not from use. The filing date decides priority. A brand that is famous in China or Europe but not filed in Indonesia can be registered by someone else first, and you then have to fight to get it back.
The legal basis is Law No. 20 of 2016 on Trademarks and Geographical Indications. Under it, an application is rejected if the mark is the same as, or substantially similar to, an earlier registered or earlier filed mark of another party for similar goods or services. In practice that means the first complete application usually wins.
Three things we see foreign owners assume, all wrongly:
- A PT name is not a trademark. Company names are checked at AHU (Ministry of Law) and give no trademark right. The same goes for your NIB or domain name.
- A Chinese or EU registration does not cover Indonesia. Trademark rights are territorial; you need an Indonesian registration or an international registration that designates Indonesia.
- Selling through a distributor does not protect you. If the distributor files the mark in its own name, it may end up owning it in Indonesia.
If you are also setting up a local company, see our company registration guide. Filing the trademark early, before launch publicity, is the single cheapest protection you can buy.
Nice classes: protection only where you file
Indonesia uses the Nice Classification: 45 classes, 1–34 for goods and 35–45 for services. Protection covers only the classes and the goods or services you list. Fees, both ours and the official DJKI fee, are charged per class, so class strategy is where cost and coverage are decided.
| Business | Typical classes | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetics or skincare brand | 3, often 35 | Products in 3; retail and online store services in 35 |
| Supplements or health products | 5, sometimes 29/30/32 | Depends on whether the product is a supplement, food or drink |
| Bubble tea or coffee chain | 43, 30, 32, 35 | Café services in 43; packaged tea, coffee or drinks in 30/32; franchising and retail support in 35 |
| Electronics or appliances | 9 or 11, plus 35 | Device class depends on the product; 35 for retail |
| Apparel | 25, often 18 and 35 | Clothing in 25, bags in 18, retail in 35 |
The description of goods and services matters as much as the class number. Too broad and the examiner may object; too narrow and a copycat can register the same name for neighbouring products. We draft the list from what you actually sell and plan to sell in Indonesia.
Search before you file
Always search the DJKI database before filing. The most common ground for rejection is similarity to an earlier mark in the same or a related class, and similarity is judged on sound, appearance and overall impression, not only identical spelling. A search costs days; a refusal costs a year or more.
Anyone can run a basic search on DJKI's public database, PDKI (Pangkalan Data Kekayaan Intelektual). A useful search goes further:
- Check the Latin spelling, the pinyin and the Chinese characters separately. A mark filed only in Latin letters leaves the Chinese-character version open, and the reverse.
- Check phonetic variants Indonesian examiners would treat as similar.
- Check related classes, not just the one you plan to file in.
- Look for applications still pending. They do not show up as registrations yet but will block you if they are approved.
You can start with our free trademark and company name check. We then do a fuller search as part of the filing service and tell you honestly if the mark looks risky before you pay any official fee.
Process and realistic timeline
Once DJKI gives a filing date, the application goes through formality examination, a two-month publication for opposition, then substantive examination. Historically, certificates took roughly 12 to 18 months when no one opposed. DJKI announced a five-month processing target from August 2026; treat that as a target, not a guarantee.
- Search and class strategy (1–2 working days on our side). Decide mark form (word, logo, Chinese characters) and classes.
- Filing. Filed online at DJKI, generally within 1 week of complete documents. A filing date is given once the minimum requirements are met (form, mark label, proof of fee payment). This date is your priority date.
- Formality check. If something is missing, DJKI notifies the applicant and the law gives 2 months to complete it. Missing the deadline means the application is treated as withdrawn.
- Publication (2 months). The law requires publication in the Official Trademark Gazette within 15 days of the filing date. Any party can file an opposition during these 2 months; the applicant may file a counter-statement.
- Substantive examination. The examiner checks distinctiveness, similarity to earlier marks and bad faith. If the examiner objects, the applicant has 30 days to respond in writing. The Job Creation Law amendments shortened the statutory examination period, but actual timing depends on DJKI workload.
- Registration and certificate. If approved, the mark is registered and a certificate is issued. Protection is counted from the filing date, not the certificate date.
What regulation fixes: the deadlines above and the 10-year term. What depends on practice: DJKI queues, whether an opposition is filed, and whether an examiner objection needs a response or appeal. Plan launches around the filing date, which you control, not the certificate date, which you do not.
Madrid Protocol or national filing?
Indonesia joined the Madrid Protocol with effect from 2 January 2018, so a Chinese company with a CNIPA application or registration can designate Indonesia through WIPO. National filing directly at DJKI is the other route. Madrid is efficient for many countries at once; national filing gives more control in Indonesia itself.
| Madrid (via CNIPA/WIPO) | National filing at DJKI | |
|---|---|---|
| Base needed | A home application or registration; the international registration depends on it for 5 years | None |
| Specification | Cannot be broader than the home mark; wording follows the international registration | Drafted for the Indonesian market and DJKI practice |
| Decision period | Indonesia declared an 18-month period to notify a provisional refusal | Follows the national timeline above |
| Local representative | Not needed to file, but a response to a provisional refusal in Indonesia normally goes through a local Kuasa | Required from the start for applicants domiciled outside Indonesia |
| Licences | Indonesia declared that licences recorded at WIPO have no effect in Indonesia; record them at DJKI | Recorded at DJKI |
Our practical view: use Madrid when Indonesia is one of many markets and the Chinese home mark already fits. File nationally when Indonesia is a priority market, the home specification is narrow, or you need Latin, pinyin and Indonesian-language versions handled separately. If you filed in China within the last 6 months, a national Indonesian filing can claim Paris Convention priority from that date.
Foreign applicants must file through a registered IP consultant
Article 7 of Law 20/2016 requires applicants who live or are domiciled outside Indonesia to file through a Kuasa, and the law defines a Kuasa as an Intellectual Property Consultant registered in Indonesia. The applicant must also choose the consultant's address as its legal domicile in Indonesia for DJKI letters and court summons.
What this means for you:
- A company in Shenzhen or Singapore cannot file directly at DJKI in its own name without a registered Indonesian IP consultant acting as Kuasa. The power of attorney must name that consultant.
- Documents signed abroad (power of attorney, statement of ownership, priority documents) generally need legalisation or apostille and a sworn Indonesian translation where applicable.
- An Indonesian company you own, such as a PT PMA, is domiciled in Indonesia and can file in its own name. Decide deliberately whether the parent or the local PT should own the mark; moving it later requires a recorded assignment.
Before you sign a power of attorney, check that the consultant named in it is on DJKI's register of IP consultants. Tell us where the applicant is domiciled and we will explain the correct filing route for your case; every quotation is given in writing before work starts.
Bad-faith filings and squatting
Squatting is a real risk for Chinese brands entering Indonesia, especially food and beverage, cosmetics and consumer electronics that already have social-media visibility. The law lets DJKI reject bad-faith applications and allows cancellation of a bad-faith registration without a time limit, but litigation is slow and costly. Filing first is far cheaper.
The legal tools, in order of cost:
- Watch and oppose. If a copycat application is published, you can file an opposition within the 2-month publication period.
- Cancellation at the Commercial Court. A cancellation action generally must be filed within 5 years of registration, but there is no time limit where bad faith is proven. An unregistered owner may only sue after filing its own application at DJKI.
- Non-use removal. A registered mark not used in trade for 3 consecutive years can be removed at the request of an interested third party.
Practical defences: file before you announce Indonesian distributors, franchise partners or marketplace stores; register Latin, pinyin and Chinese-character forms if you use them; put trademark ownership clauses in distributor contracts; and keep evidence of your brand's reputation abroad, which matters in a bad-faith or well-known-mark argument.
10-year term, renewal and costs
A registered mark is protected for 10 years from the filing date and can be renewed for further 10-year periods. Renewal is filed in the 6 months before expiry, or up to 6 months after expiry with a surcharge. Our service fee starts at Rp 4,500,000 per class; the official DJKI fee is charged separately.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| IzinBeres trademark filing service | From Rp 4,500,000 per class | Search, class strategy, drafting the goods/services list, filing, status monitoring and follow-up to the certificate |
| Initial trademark check | Free | Before you decide to file |
| Official DJKI fee (PNBP) | Quoted separately | Set by government regulation, per class; differs for micro/small businesses and general applicants. Rates were revised effective 1 August 2026 |
| Foreign-document legalisation and translation | Quoted separately | Only if needed for your documents |
At renewal the owner must state that the mark is still used on the registered goods or services and that they are still produced or traded. Keep use evidence: invoices, packaging, marketplace listings. See our full price list; we pass on official fees at cost.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Chinese company register a trademark in Indonesia?
Yes. A company domiciled outside Indonesia can own an Indonesian trademark, but under Article 7 of Law 20/2016 it must file through a Kuasa, meaning an Intellectual Property Consultant registered in Indonesia, and use that consultant's address as its legal domicile. Alternatively, it can designate Indonesia through the Madrid Protocol from its Chinese application, or file through its own Indonesian PT.
How long does trademark registration in Indonesia take?
Filing takes about one week once documents are complete. After that DJKI runs formality examination, a 2-month publication and substantive examination. Historically certificates took around 12 to 18 months without opposition. DJKI announced a five-month target from August 2026, but oppositions or examiner objections can add many months.
How much does it cost to register a trademark in Indonesia?
The IzinBeres service starts at Rp 4,500,000 per class, covering search, class strategy, filing and follow-up to the certificate. The official DJKI fee (PNBP) is also charged per class and depends on the applicant category; it was revised from 1 August 2026, so we quote it separately at the rate in force on your filing date.
Does my Chinese trademark registration protect me in Indonesia?
No. Trademark rights are territorial. A CNIPA registration only protects you in China. To be protected in Indonesia you need either a national registration at DJKI or an international registration under the Madrid Protocol that designates Indonesia and is not refused by DJKI.
Someone registered my brand in Indonesia first. What can I do?
If the application is still in its 2-month publication, file an opposition. If it is registered, you can seek cancellation at the Commercial Court; the usual 5-year limit does not apply where bad faith is shown, but you must first file your own application. A non-use removal is possible if the mark has not been used for 3 consecutive years.
Should I register the Chinese characters, pinyin or English name?
Register the forms you will actually use in Indonesia. Each form is assessed separately for similarity, so a filing of only the English word leaves the Chinese-character version open to others. Many brands file a word mark in Latin letters and a separate mark for the Chinese characters or logo, in the classes that matter commercially.
How long is an Indonesian trademark valid?
Ten years from the filing date, renewable for further 10-year periods without limit. Renewal is filed within 6 months before expiry, or up to 6 months after expiry with an extra charge equal to the renewal fee. You must declare that the mark is still used on the registered goods or services.
Which filing route applies if my company is outside Indonesia?
Under Article 7 of Law 20/2016, an applicant domiciled outside Indonesia must file through an Intellectual Property Consultant registered in Indonesia, so check that any consultant you appoint is on DJKI's register. Tell us where the applicant is domiciled and we will explain the correct filing route for your case; every quotation is given in writing before work starts.
Send us your brand name for a free check
Send your brand name, logo and the products you plan to sell in Indonesia via WhatsApp +62 856-1963-888 or info@izinberes.com. We check it for conflicts, recommend classes and give you a written estimate of service fee, official fee and timeline before you decide. English and Mandarin support, open 7 days, 09:00–19:00 WIB.