By Carola Monintja
In a significant milestone for Indonesia’s intellectual property (IP) landscape, the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (“DGPI”) has successfully streamlined the trademark registration process. As of mid-2025, trademark applications that meet standard criteria are now registered within a maximum of six months, marking a major shift from previous timelines and positioning Indonesia alongside leading economies in terms of efficiency.
A New Standard: Trademark Registration in Six Months
Traditionally, registering a trademark in Indonesia could take 8 to 12 months, or longer due to procedural delays, oppositions, and administrative backlogs, or even as long as 24 months.
In early 2025, DGIP took a range of reformation steps that aimed at cutting down processing time, including:
- Optimized examination workflows with a focus on formal, publication, and substantive stages.
- Increased human resources, including additional examiners engaged under flexible work arrangements.
- Robust digital infrastructure and process integration that allows applicants to manage filings online and receive updates in real time.
Those reformation steps resulted in the registration process that reaches a maximum of six months for the applications without complexities.
When Did the Change Start?
The six-month maximum timeline was publicly confirmed in May 2025 following an announcement by the Minister of Law and Human Rights, Supratman Andi Agtas, who affirmed that the country had eliminated the backlog and was meeting the target service period.
Our KASS Indonesian Team noticed that with this new process optimization applied to the applications, our clients’ applications that were filed in late 2024 were registered by mid-2025.
By moving to a six-month registration cycle, Indonesia now competes with several developed countries, such as:
- United States: ~12 months
- China: ~12–15 months
- Singapore: ~9 months
- Japan: 4–7 months
- South Korea: ~7 months
This acceleration not only aligns Indonesia with global best practices but also enhances its attractiveness for domestic and international business communities.
Conclusion
Indonesia’s shift to a maximum six-month trademark registration period represents a meaningful leap forward for its intellectual property framework. Implemented mid-2025, this change strengthens legal certainty, improves the investment climate, and supports economic innovation. For businesses and brand owners, the accelerated process promises faster protection and a more competitive platform for growth a positive sign of Indonesia’s evolving IP ecosystem. Please feel free to contact us at hello@kass.asia for your client’s IP needs in Indonesia.