Trademark Status Meanings: Complete Guide to Every IP India Status

Short answer: your trademark’s status on the IP India portal tells you exactly where your application sits in a process that usually runs 12 to 24 months. Most statuses need nothing from you. A small number start a clock, and those are the ones worth knowing on sight.

Status is checked on the Registry’s eRegister service, not on the Public Search portal. The two are often confused, and they do different jobs.

eRegister (status): you enter an application number and see where that specific application stands, together with its status history.

Public Search: you search marks by word, class or proprietor. This is what you use before filing to see what already exists, or to find your own application number if you have mislaid it.

One change worth knowing: both services are now behind a verification step. You supply an email address or mobile number, complete a CAPTCHA, and enter a one-time password before the search session opens. There is still no account and no login — it is a one-time session check on each visit, not a registration. A good many guides online still describe the older, unverified flow.

You will need your application number, the seven- or eight-digit number issued at filing and printed on your filing acknowledgement. If you do not have it, find it through Public Search using your brand name or the proprietor’s name.

The Registry does not email you every time something changes, so the status page is the authoritative record. If your application is anywhere near a deadline, check it on a schedule rather than waiting to be told.

Status | What it means | What to do
New Application / Formalities Chk Pass | Filed, and the basic paperwork check has cleared. | Nothing — wait for it to move to examination.
Formalities Chk Fail | A paperwork defect was found — commonly a missing or incorrectly executed power of attorney, or a missing user affidavit. | Correctable, but it carries its own deadline — see the full guide.
Sent to Vienna Codification | A device or logo mark is being assigned Vienna classification codes for its figurative elements. | Nothing — this is routine administrative processing.
Marked for Exam | In the examiner’s queue for legal review. | Nothing yet — see the full guide.
Exam Report Issued | The examination report has been issued. The reply clock starts from when you receive it. | Read it immediately — see the full guide.
Objected | The examiner raised an objection, usually under Section 9 or Section 11. | File a written reply within one month of receiving the report — see the full guide and our objection reply case laws.
Ready for Show Cause Hearing | Your reply did not fully satisfy the examiner, so the matter is listed for a hearing. | Attend or be represented — hearings may be held by video conferencing. See the full guide and our hearing case laws.
Accepted & Advertised | Approved and published in the Trade Marks Journal for opposition. Not yet registered. | Nothing, unless opposed — see the full guide.
Opposed | A third party has formally challenged your application. | File a counter-statement within two months — see the full guide and our opposition case laws.
Registered | No opposition, or opposition resolved in your favour. Certificate issued. | Diarise renewal ten years from the filing date — see the full guide.
Refused | The Registrar rejected the application, usually after a hearing. | An appeal may be available depending on the grounds and timing — see the full guide.
Abandoned | A deadline passed without the required response being filed. | Not always final — see the full guide. 
Withdrawn | The applicant themselves withdrew the application. | Nothing. A fresh application would be needed to restart.

“Accepted & Advertised” is not registration. It means the Registry is satisfied and has published the mark so that others may oppose it. The opposition window runs four months from the date of advertisement in the Journal. Using the ® symbol at this stage is premature.

“Formalities Chk Fail” is not an objection to your brand. It is a paperwork problem, not a finding that your mark is unregistrable. The two look similar on the portal but are answered in completely different ways.

“Objected” is not a refusal. A very large share of applications receive an examination report. It is a normal stage rather than a verdict, and a well-drafted reply resolves many of them without a hearing.

“Abandoned” is not automatically the end. This is the status that causes the most unnecessary panic. Under Rule 33(4) of the Trade Marks Rules, 2017 the Registrar may treat an application as abandoned where no reply is filed — the power is discretionary, not automatic. The period runs from the date you actually receive the examination report rather than the date printed on it, which matters when service has been delayed. Sections 131 and 132 of the Trade Marks Act allow an extension of time to be sought, and extensions have been granted even after an application was treated as abandoned. If you are looking at this status, have it reviewed before assuming a fresh filing is the only route.

Most statuses are informational. These are the ones that start a clock.

Examination report — reply within one month of receiving it. An extension may be requested on Form TM-M.

Opposition — a notice of opposition may be filed within four months of advertisement in the Journal. If your mark is opposed, the counter-statement is due within two months of receiving the notice, and missing that one is treated as abandoning the application.

Renewal — every ten years from the filing date. Renewal may be filed in the six months before expiry, and late renewal with a surcharge is possible for six months afterwards. After that the mark may be removed from the register, with restoration a separate and more expensive route.

If you are unsure which class your application sits in, or you are preparing a fresh filing, start with the trademark class finder.