How to register your logo as a trademark in Malaysia (MyIPO)

Who handles trademarks in Malaysia

Trademarks are registered by the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) under the Trademarks Act 2019 (Act 815) and the Trademarks Regulations 2019. A logo, a word, or a combination of both can be registered, as can shapes, colours and sounds.

Registering a business name with SSM does not give you a trademark. SSM and MyIPO keep separate registers, and the Act gives infringement rights only to registered trademarks (section 159). A competitor can trade under a business name very close to yours if your mark is not registered.

This guide is general guidance, not legal advice. Fees and forms change, so confirm them on MyIPO’s forms and fees page before you file.

MyIPO trademark fees

Fees below are from MyIPO’s table of forms and fees under the Trademarks Act 2019.

Matter	Form	Fee
Preliminary advice and search	TMA1	RM250 per class
Application, goods or services from the pre-approved list	TMA2 (TMA2A)	RM950 per class
Application, own wording	TMA2 (TMA2B)	RM1,100 per class
Each additional mark in a series	TMA2C	RM50
Expedited examination	TMA4	RM1,000 per class
Renewal, on or before expiry	TME1	RM1,000
Late renewal, within 6 months after expiry	TME2	RM1,200
Restoration after removal	TME3	RM1,500

A class is a category of goods or services under the Nice Classification. A café that sells coffee beans and runs a café needs at least two classes, so it pays the fee twice. One application can cover several classes (section 18).

Step by step

1. Finalise the logo

File the mark you will actually use. A logo registration protects the design as filed. If you plan a redesign in the next year, finish it first. Check that you own the logo: ask your designer for a written transfer of rights and the final vector files.

2. Search the register

Search MyIPO’s register through the IP Online portal for identical or similar marks in your classes. For an official view, file Form TMA1 for preliminary advice and search, at RM250 per class. A clash found now costs far less than a rejected application or a forced rebrand later.

3. Choose your classes and wording

List the goods and services you sell or plan to sell. MyIPO’s pre-approved list of goods and services gives wording the examiner already accepts, and it costs RM150 less per class than your own wording.

4. File Form TMA2

File online through IP Online, which needs a user account and a digital certificate, or at the counter with two copies of the form. For manual filing, MyIPO states the mark must not exceed 10 x 10 cm. You can ask for expedited examination with Form TMA4 (section 17(5)).

5. Examination

The Registrar examines the application against the grounds for refusal in the Act. If there is an objection, you can respond, amend the application or limit the goods and services.

6. Publication and opposition

Once accepted, the application is published in the Intellectual Property Official Journal (section 31). Anyone may file a notice of opposition within two months of publication (section 35 and regulation 23). The Registrar may extend that period by up to two more months.

7. Registration

If no one opposes, or an opposition is decided in your favour, the mark is registered (section 36). It is registered as at the filing date, which becomes the date of registration. MyIPO issues a notification of registration. A certificate of registration is available on request for a fee.

Renewal

Registration lasts 10 years from the date of registration and can be renewed for further 10-year periods (section 39). File Form TME1 up to six months before expiry. Within six months after expiry you can still renew with a surcharge. After that, the mark is removed from the register, and restoration costs more. Put the renewal date in your calendar the day the registration arrives.

Using ™ and ®

The ® symbol, or the word “registered”, tells the public the mark is registered in Malaysia. Using it on an unregistered mark is an offence under section 104 of the Act, with a fine of up to RM10,000. The ™ symbol does not claim registration, so it is commonly used to show you claim the mark while the application is pending.

Design choices that make registration easier

A designer cannot guarantee registration, but some choices help:

1. Distinctive over descriptive. A coined name or an original symbol is easier to register than a common word for your product.
2. No look-alikes. Check competitors in your class before you pick a direction, not after.
3. Words in other scripts. If the logo contains Chinese, Jawi or Tamil characters, section 17(3) requires a transliteration and translation.
4. A clean master version. File the version you use most, usually the full-colour primary logo. Keep a black version for applications where colour is not claimed.

We check direction against visible competitors during logo design and supply the files you need for the application. For design costs, see our logo design cost guide. If you have not chosen a name yet, read our guide to naming your business and the SSM name check.