How to Check Your Status
Every application gets a unique application number the moment it is filed. You can look up its current status any time on the IP India public search portal by entering that number, or by searching the wordmark. The status updates as the application moves through examination, publication, and registration.
Status updates are not always emailed to you promptly, and postal notices can be delayed or missed. Checking the portal yourself every few weeks during an active application is the only reliable way to catch a deadline in time.
Statuses That Need Nothing From You
Your application has passed the initial formality check — correct forms, fee paid, documents in order. It now moves to substantive examination. Nothing to do but wait.
Applies to logo or device marks. The Registry is assigning classification codes to the visual elements of your mark. This is an internal, automatic step.
The application has been assigned to an examiner and is in the queue for substantive review. This can take several months depending on the office workload.
The examiner has cleared your mark and it is now published in the Trade Marks Journal. This opens a four-month window during which third parties can oppose it — but the action item belongs to them, not you, unless someone actually files opposition.
Your mark is now registered. You will receive a registration certificate. The mark is valid for ten years from the filing date and can be renewed indefinitely thereafter.
Statuses That Start a Deadline Clock
These three statuses are where applications are lost — not because the mark was unregistrable, but because the reply deadline passed without a response.
Deadline: 30 days from the date the examination report is issued. The examiner has raised an objection — commonly that the mark is descriptive, too similar to an existing registration, or lacks distinctiveness. You must file a reply with supporting evidence and arguments within this window.
Deadline: 2 months to file a counter-statement, extendable by 1 month. A third party has filed a formal opposition during the four-month publication window. No counter-statement means the application is deemed abandoned automatically — this is not a soft deadline.
Various stages before a hearing carry their own short deadlines, typically 1 to 4 weeks depending on the notice. Each one is specific about what is due and by when — read the notice carefully rather than assuming a standard 30-day window applies.
⚠️ Why "Abandoned" Rarely Comes as a Surprise to the Registry — But Often Surprises the Applicant
An application is not usually abandoned out of nowhere. It is almost always the end result of an earlier deadline — an objection reply or a counter-statement — that was missed. By the time the status reads "Abandoned," the window to fix it has typically already closed. This is why tracking your application actively during the Objected and Opposed stages matters more than any other point in the process.
Application Showing Objected or Opposed?
Send us your application number. We will review the notice and tell you exactly what is required and by when.
What to Do the Moment You See Objected or Opposed
- Note the exact date the status changed, and calculate your deadline immediately — do not rely on memory.
- Download the examination report or opposition notice from the portal to see the specific grounds raised.
- Gather evidence of use if you have been using the mark — invoices, packaging, website archives, advertising — this strengthens most replies.
- File within the window, not on the last day if it can be avoided. Portal downtime or last-minute errors have no grace period.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I check my trademark status?
Every two to three weeks during an active application is a reasonable rhythm, and more frequently right after you know examination or publication is due, since that is when Objected or Opposed statuses tend to appear.
Can I get more time to reply to an objection?
Extensions for an examination report reply are not routinely granted, so treat the 30-day window as firm. Opposition counter-statements do have a built-in one-month extension available on request.
What happens if my application is marked Abandoned?
An abandoned application generally cannot be revived, though limited restoration remedies exist in specific circumstances. In most cases, refiling as a fresh application is the practical route forward.
Does "Accepted and Advertised" mean my trademark is registered?
No. It means the examiner has cleared the mark and published it for public objection. Registration only happens after the four-month opposition window passes without a challenge, or after any opposition is resolved in your favour.
Who can file an opposition against my mark?
Any person or entity — not just an existing trademark owner — can file an opposition during the four-month publication window, though most oppositions do come from parties who believe the mark conflicts with rights they already hold.