Country Overview
Pakistan is the world’s 5th most populous country (about 251.27 million in 2024), offering scale for brands and innovators across consumer, industrial, and technology sectors. Fueled by traditional industries such as agriculture and textiles, and complemented by a fast-developing technology and start-up ecosystem (including e-commerce and ride-hailing), Pakistan is also widely recognized for manufacturing sporting goods and surgical instruments.
Innovation indicators are also strengthening: GII 2025 highlights Pakistan’s best-ranked strengths in mobile app creation (rank 17), ICT services exports (rank 18), and its youth demographic dividend (rank 25)
UTMPS Presence in Pakistan
Established in 1949, United Trademark & Patent Services (UTMPS) is one of the country’s longest-standing, full-service intellectual property practices—and the firm’s head office.
With 80 + IP professionals, the office supports high-volume prosecution work and leads complex advisory, enforcement, and litigation mandates across Pakistan, while also coordinating regional execution through the wider UTMPS network.
Our Pakistan team advises across the full spectrum of IP rights and adjacent areas that frequently intersect with IP outcomes, including competition law, data privacy, brand enforcement, anti-counterfeiting, and litigation.
Key IP Services in Pakistan
We provide a full range of intellectual property services in Pakistan, including:
- IP prosecution and advisory services in patents, trademarks, industrial designs, and copyright
- Portfolio management (filing strategy, renewals, recordals, and lifecycle support)
- Oppositions, cancellations, and validity actions
- Enforcement and anti-counterfeiting, including coordinated action with authorities and litigation support
- Freedom-to-operate, licensing, and IP due diligence to support transactions and commercialization
- Competition law and data privacy support where IP intersects with commercial activity
Pakistan IP System Overview
Pakistan joined WIPO in 1977 and is a party to major international IP treaties, including, but not limited to, the Berne Convention, Paris Convention, the Madrid Protocol, and the Marrakesh Treaty.
Pakistan’s national IP authority is the Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan (IPO-Pakistan).
This section provides a high-level overview of jurisdiction-specific IP protection requirements and is not intended to be comprehensive. For advice on your specific matter, please contact our IP experts.
- Protection term: 10 years (renewable)
- Filing system: Single-class
- Madrid Protocol: Yes
- Priority claim: 6 months from the date of filing of priority application.
- Opposition period: 60 days (two months) from publication
- Typical registration timeline: ~20–30 months (depending on examination and objections)
- Protection term: 20 years from filing (or priority date where claimed)
- Priority claim: within 12 months
- PCT: Pakistan is not a PCT contracting state; patent protection is pursued via national filing in Pakistan.
- Filing Formalities: applications can be filed on the basis of an English specification and applicant/inventor details; supporting formal documents can follow after filing (timing rules apply).
- Annuities: payable after the first four years, then annually
- Protection term: 10 years, extendable twice (up to 30 years total)
- Hague System: Pakistan is not a member
- Typical registration timeline: ~8–10 months in straightforward cases
- Maintenance Fees: After the first 10-year term, a design can be renewed for two terms of 10 years each upon payment of the renewal fee.
- Protection term: generally life of the author + 50 years (with different terms for certain categories of works)
- Registration: available and optional (often helpful for enforcement and commercial use)
Pakistan has a dedicated GI framework under the Geographical Indications (Registration and Protection) Act 2020.
Lahore
85, The Mall Road, Lahore,
Punjab, Pakistan
Key Contacts
Key Contacts
Global Reach
With a presence across 20+ jurisdictions spanning the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, UTMPS delivers comprehensive IP solutions tailored to local requirements.
Outside our footprint, we coordinate matters through a carefully vetted network of trusted IP associates worldwide.
