Effective IP protection in Indonesia starts with the right registration strategy. While each category of intellectual property has its own requirements, properly registered rights provide the foundation for commercial use, licensing, and enforcement.
Intellectual property rights registered in Indonesia give their owners exclusive rights to use, licence, and effectively protect their IP. Without registration, those rights do not formally exist, and in a jurisdiction that operates on a first to file vs first to use basis, delays in filing carry real commercial risk.
SKC Law’s Prosecution & Litigation Team advises clients on intellectual property rights registration across all major categories: trademarks, patents, industrial designs, copyright, and domain names. The team also provides portfolio-level prosecution strategy – identifying gaps, resolving conflicts, and designing cost-efficient filing strategies tailored to each client’s needs.
Indonesia’s IP registration landscape is unique in several respects. There is no workable unfair competition or passing-off framework, making registration the primary basis for rights. The Trademark Office (TMO) now registers trademarks in around six months, a significant improvement driven by electronic filing reforms. Patent examination timelines remain longer, though the DGIP has accelerated processing through expanded use of Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) arrangements. Across all categories, SKC Law provides clear, practical advice designed to give clients the strongest possible position, efficiently.
Related reading: Trademark Registration Indonesia 2025: Filing & Updates
SKC Law provides registration services across six practice areas. Strategy is built around client objectives and commercial context, not a one-size-fits-all approach. Services are available to rights holders directly and to overseas IP firms and law firms acting on behalf of their clients.
Effective IP registration begins with strategy. Before filing, SKC Law conducts a holistic review of a client’s intellectual property rights portfolio to identify gaps, resolve overlaps, and prioritise filings by commercial value.
Prosecution strategy services include:
Portfolio audits and gap analysis across trademark, patent, design, and copyright categories.
Filing roadmap development aligned with business priorities and budget.
Clearance search assessment to identify third-party rights that may block registration or create infringement risk.
Advice on non-traditional marks, including three-dimensional and sound trademarks, where registration strategies remain relatively untested.
Coordination with overseas IP counsel on international portfolio alignment.
SKC Law’s prosecution team is equipped to overcome office actions, prevail before the Trademark Appeal Commission, and support major brands in building trademark portfolios. It also advises on creative prosecution solutions where standard approaches are unavailable – for example, developing multi-application filing strategies to achieve comprehensive design protection within the constraints of Indonesia’s current industrial design law.
Indonesia operates a first to file vs first to use trademark system. Rights are granted to whoever registers first, regardless of prior use. Filing promptly is not just advisable – it is strategically necessary.
With improvements to its electronic filing system, the TMO now registers trademarks in around six months, assuming no office actions or third-party objections. Registrations are valid for ten years and renewable for consecutive ten-year periods.
The registration process runs through formalities examination, publication, substantive examination, and registration. SKC Law recommends completing clearance searches before filing – its clearance reports assess negative connotation, distinctiveness, availability to use, and availability to register, giving clients a clear picture of risk before committing to a filing.
View and download our free brochure for an overview of trademark registration in Indonesia.
Applications are filed per class, using the Nice Classification system. SKC Law generally recommends single-class filings, as issues in one class can delay all applied classes in a multi-class application. Indonesia designates 2026 as the target year for adopting the Nice Classification 13th Edition, a change that will affect classification decisions for new and renewal filings.
International clients may file in Indonesia directly or by designating Indonesia through the Madrid Protocol. SKC Law advises on the most appropriate route for each situation, taking into account portfolio size, budget, and the need for local clearance searches.
Related reading: Nice Classification 2026 Changes: Indonesia Impact Guide
Indonesia’s patent attorney and patent filing services at SKC Law cover both standard patents and simple patents (utility models). Standard patents are granted for inventions that are novel, involve an inventive step, and are industrially applicable. Simple patents apply to developments of existing products or processes that are novel and industrially applicable.
Registration timelines are approximately two to three years for standard patents and one to two years for simple patents from the filing date. Delays due to backlogs are common, and SKC Law monitors applications actively to manage deadlines and flag examiner responses promptly.
Standard patent: 1 Application filing; 2 Formalities examination (14 days); 3 Waiting period (18 months from priority date); 4 Publication stage (6 months); 5 Substantive examination (up to 30 months); 6 Patent grant; 7 Issuance of certificate of registration (within 2 months after grant).
Side paths: a formality defect leads to a notice of lack of formality, then either the application is considered withdrawn or a response is filed. During publication, opposition and rebuttal. If objections are raised, a substantive examination report allows 3 months to respond; failing that the application is considered withdrawn, otherwise a response is filed. A final rejection can be appealed to PTAC or followed by substantive re-examination.
Simple patent: 1 Application filing; 2 Formalities examination (4 working days); 3 Waiting period (14 working days); 4 Publication stage (14 working days); 5 Substantive examination (up to 6 months); 6 Simple patent grant; 7 Issuance of certificate of registration (within 2 months after grant). The same conditions apply.
View and download our free brochure for an overview of patent registration in Indonesia.
The deadline to file in Indonesia is 31 months from the earliest priority date. SKC Law prepares and files PCT national phase entries as a core service.
Applicants have 12 months from the priority date to file in Indonesia.
Must be filed within 36 months of the Indonesian filing date for standard patents (at the time of filing for simple patents). Failure to file within this period results in the application being deemed withdrawn.
The PTO allows initial filing with an English specification to secure a filing date. An Indonesian specification must be filed within 30 days. SKC Law prepares translations using a bilingual team (native Indonesian-speaking lawyer and native English-speaking lawyer) to ensure quality.
SKC Law also advises on patent protection strategy, including freedom-to-operate assessments, patent infringement analysis, and cross-border patent portfolio coordination through its regional network.
Industrial design registration protects the ornamental and aesthetic features of a product – its shape, configuration, pattern, or colour. In Indonesia, registered designs are protected for ten years from the filing date (extendable to a maximum of fifteen years). Protection is territorial, and SKC Law regularly coordinates design filings in Indonesia alongside regional and international applications.
SKC Law’s prosecution team advises on scope of protection, filing strategy, and preparation of drawings and specifications to maximise enforceability. Where Indonesia’s industrial design law does not yet accommodate multi-embodiment applications, SKC Law has developed practical solutions, including coordinated single-embodiment filings sharing the same priority date, to achieve the broadest practicable protection for clients’ designs.
The team also assists with design registrations for digital products, including user interface elements and web pages, where protecting aesthetic features through industrial design rights provides strategic value alongside other IP categories.
Copyright in Indonesia arises automatically upon creation under Law No. 28/2014. However, voluntary registration with the DGIP provides an important practical benefit: a registered work creates a rebuttable presumption of ownership, which simplifies enforcement and reduces the evidentiary burden in disputes.
SKC Law provides Indonesia copyright law advisory and registration services across a broad range of creative works, including literary, artistic, musical, and audiovisual works, as well as software, product packaging, and architectural designs.
Beyond registration, SKC Law advises on cross-border copyright matters, the copyright and cultural heritage implications of using Indonesian landmarks and traditional elements, and strategies for protecting product packaging through a combination of copyright and industrial design rights. Recent work includes advising on freedom of panorama, government-commissioned works, and copyright ownership in user-generated content contexts.
Related reading: Strengthening Copyright Protection in Indonesia
.id domain names are administered by PANDI (Pengelola Nama Domain Internet Indonesia). Like trademarks, domain name registration in Indonesia operates on a first-to-file basis, creating risk that brand names will be registered by unrelated or bad-faith parties before the legitimate rights holder acts.
SKC Law advises rights holders on domain name registration strategy, including proactive registration of key brand variants to reduce exposure. Where an infringing or bad-faith registration has already occurred, SKC Law initiates proceedings under Indonesia’s domain name dispute resolution mechanism administered by PANDI, a process that provides an efficient, relatively cost-effective alternative to court proceedings for domain disputes.
IP registration in Indonesia is governed by specific legislation for each category of right, administered by the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DGIP). Key statutes include:
Governs trademark registration, clearance, opposition, and renewal. Indonesia has applied the Nice Classification system and joined the Madrid Protocol in 2018.
Governs standard and simple patent registration, examination, and maintenance. Indonesia is a PCT member, with a 31‑month national phase deadline.
Governs design registration and protection.
Provides for automatic copyright protection from creation, with voluntary registration available.
The most recent update to trademark administrative procedure, effective 2026.
Indonesia is a member of the Paris Convention, the TRIPS Agreement, the Berne Convention, the PCT, and the Madrid Protocol. For practical purposes, the first to file vs first to use principle is the single most important characteristic of Indonesia’s IP system: rights attach to registration, not use, and priority belongs to whoever files first.
In the past 12 months
Consumer goods and services
While non-traditional trademarks have been recognised in Indonesia since 2016, securing registration is still not easy. Our Prosecution & Litigation Team was able to secure a three-dimensional trademark registration for a famous gummy bear brand through a combination of strategic planning and lobbying efforts at the Trademark Office. After encountering a preliminary objection from the Trademark Office, our team successfully engaged with examiners, prepared additional supporting evidence, and ensured that sufficient acquired distinctiveness was demonstrated.
Consumer goods and services
Our client, known for its iconic lighters and signature “click,” engaged SKC Law to manage its trademark portfolio and address conflicting filings. A key issue arose when a third party registered a trademark despite several earlier similar applications being refused due to the well-known status of our client’s mark. SKC Law initiated cancellation proceedings before the Commercial Court, supported by evidence of our client’s longstanding reputation and prior examination history. The Court ultimately ordered cancellation of the third party mark, reaffirming the protection of our client’s mark in Indonesia.
Banking & financial services
Indonesia’s largest Islamic bank sought IP advice to protect its gold venture business, taking advantage of momentum from newly issued bullion licences. This IP portfolio protection strategy was part of the client’s effort to secure its bullion business, as one of the first two companies in Indonesia to obtain such a licence from the Indonesian government. SKC Law structured layered protection, covering word marks, multiple device variations, and 3D marks for the relevant gold products. The engagement also required coordination with several internal client teams and advisory support addressing trademark protection within the broader bullion programme framework and product commercialisation strategy.
SKC Law’s registration clients include global sportswear and fashion brands, multinational automotive and industrial companies, food and beverage businesses, technology platforms, gaming companies, pharmaceutical and healthcare groups, and consumer goods businesses. The firm works with rights holders directly and with overseas IP law firms and general counsel instructing on behalf of their clients.
Common questions. For specific advice, contact SKC Law at enquiries@skclaw.id.
No. Indonesia operates on a first to file vs first to use basis: rights attach to the party that registers first, not the party that uses a mark first. Prior use does not establish ownership. The only exception is limited protection for well-known marks under Article 21 of the Trademark Law, which can prevent bad-faith registrations of marks identical to internationally famous brands, but this protection is narrow and subject to a high evidential threshold. For most businesses, timely registration is the only reliable path to trademark rights in Indonesia.
With improvements to the TMO’s electronic filing system, registrations now take approximately six months in straightforward cases (assuming no office actions or third-party oppositions). The process runs: formalities examination (approximately 15 working days) → publication (two months) → substantive examination (four months) → registration (approximately one month). Registrations are valid for ten years and renewable for consecutive ten-year periods. Where an office action or opposition arises, the timeline extends accordingly.
Foreign applicants must file through a registered Indonesian IP consultant. SKC Law acts as the local representative for foreign rights holders and overseas IP firms, managing the entire filing and prosecution process. For trademark applications, a Power of Attorney signed by the applicant is required (no notarisation or legalisation needed). For patent applications, additional documents would be required. SKC Law prepares all required documentation.
A standard patent is granted for inventions that are novel, involve an inventive step, and are industrially applicable. A simple patent (equivalent to a utility model) applies to novel developments of existing products or processes that are industrially applicable — the inventive step requirement is lower. Standard patents are protected for 20 years; simple patents for ten years. Registration for standard patents takes approximately two to three years; simple patents one to two years. PCT national phase applications must be filed as standard patents. SKC Law advises clients on which category is appropriate based on the nature of the invention and the commercial filing strategy.
No. Copyright in Indonesia arises automatically upon creation of a qualifying work under Law No. 28/2014 — registration is voluntary. However, voluntary registration with the DGIP creates a rebuttable presumption of ownership, which significantly strengthens the rights holder’s position in enforcement and licensing contexts. For businesses with commercially valuable creative assets — software, brand content, packaging designs, training materials — SKC Law recommends registration as a practical measure. The registration process is straightforward and the cost is low relative to the protection it provides.
