Trademark Objection Reply in Pakistan — Save Your Application
Most Pakistani trademark applications hit an examination objection — either descriptiveness/non-distinctiveness or similarity to an earlier mark — and most that die, die here, because no proper reply was filed in time. A reasoned reply (and, where fixed, a show-cause hearing before the Registrar) is how applications survive. IMAAR drafts objection replies built on the actual citations: mark comparisons, goods distinctions, consent letters, specification amendments and evidence of use — under the Trade Marks Ordinance 2001.
- IPO-Pakistan Practice
- Attorney of the High Court
- Hearings Attended
- Fixed Written Fee
The Two Objections — and How Each Is Beaten
| Objection | What it means | Winning strategies |
|---|---|---|
| Absolute (distinctiveness) | Mark seen as descriptive or non-distinctive for the goods | Suggestive-not-descriptive argument; stylization/composite elements; acquired distinctiveness through evidence of use (sales, advertising, duration) |
| Relative (similarity) | Cited earlier mark(s) considered identical/confusingly similar | Visual/phonetic/conceptual distinctions; different goods and trade channels; cited mark expired or abandoned; consent/coexistence letters; specification amendment; honest concurrent use |
Trade Marks Ordinance 2001 — absolute grounds (s.14), relative grounds (s.17), examination and acceptance; Trade Marks Rules 2004 — reply timelines, hearings and extensions; onward remedies against refusal, including appeal.
Our Reply Process
- Same-day report read. Send the examination report; we identify each ground, cited marks and the operative deadline immediately.
- Citation analysis. Every cited mark checked — status, goods, real marketplace context. Dead citations sink many objections by themselves.
- Strategy selection. Argument, consent, amendment, evidence — the combination the citations actually call for, not a template.
- Evidence of use. Where distinctiveness or concurrent use is in play: affidavit with sales, advertising and duration exhibits, prepared to hearing standard.
- Reply — and hearing. Filed in time; if a show-cause hearing is fixed, we appear and argue. Refusals carry appeal remedies we pursue where the mark justifies it.
New filing instead? See trademark registration — a proper pre-filing search avoids most objections in the first place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my application get objected?
What if I don't reply in time?
How are similarity objections overcome?
And descriptiveness objections?
What if the reply fails?
Objection Deadlines Kill More Marks Than Examiners Do
Send your examination report now — grounds, deadline and strategy confirmed the same day, fixed fee quoted.
Speak Directly to Our Advocate
ہمارے وکیل سے براہِ راست بات کریں
Content reviewed by Abdur Rehman Sandhu, Attorney of the High Court. Last reviewed: July 2026. General information, not legal advice.