Trademark Search in Kazakhstan: How and Where to Check a Mark
23.09.2026
The most common question after “how do I register a trademark in Kazakhstan?” is “can I check it first?”. You can, and you should. Checking the sign is where we start with every client, before we talk about timelines and costs.
The reason is simple: the examination fee is paid when you file, and you pay for the examination itself, not for the outcome. If your sign is too close to someone else’s mark, you lose both the fee and months of waiting. A search before filing costs far less.
The 30-second summary
Registered marks can be searched free of charge in the State Register of Trademarks at gosreestr.kazpatent.kz, and published applications in the KAZPATENT electronic bulletin. But a database search only finds matching letters. A typical ground for refusal is similarity to the point of confusion with an earlier mark or application for the same or related goods and services (Article 7 of the Kazakhstan Trademark Law). A search will not show similarity in sound, appearance or meaning: that takes a specialist.
This is general information, not legal advice on your specific case. We checked the provisions against the text of the law, linked at the end of the article. It is best to decide on filing after a lawyer has checked the sign.
Key figures:
- 45 classes in the Nice Classification: a mark is registered for specific goods and services, so you search in your own classes;
- 2 months from publication of an application: the period in which any interested party may file an opposition (Article 11-2(1));
- KZT 0: your own search in the KAZPATENT State Register and bulletin;
- KZT 20,000: a professional search by KORGAN (included in the price if we handle the registration).
Why search before filing
In 2025, 16,874 trademark applications were filed with KAZPATENT, the National Institute of Intellectual Property (KAZPATENT statistics), and any of them may stand in the way of yours. At the substantive examination stage, the examiner checks the sign against two groups of grounds:
- absolute grounds (Article 6): the sign is not distinctive, for example it consists only of words indicating the kind, quality, quantity, purpose or place of production of the goods, directly describes the goods, has become generic, or misleads consumers;
- other grounds (Article 7): the sign is identical or confusingly similar to someone else’s mark or earlier application for the same or related goods and services, to a mark recognised as well-known in Kazakhstan for any goods, or to a protected appellation of origin; or it reproduces someone else’s industrial design, a famous work, a name or a portrait without consent.
Many businesses file without searching: “we came up with the name ourselves, it’s unique”. But a clash with a mark you did not know about is a common reason for refusal. If a refusal has already arrived, see our article “Trademark registration refusal in Kazakhstan“.
Where to search: four sources
1. The State Register of Trademarks: gosreestr.kazpatent.kz. The official KAZPATENT database; by law the register is public (Article 14(2)). You can search by name, owner, registration or application number, Nice class, or bulletin number, with “contains”, “equals” and “starts with” options for each field. The register holds registered marks, including records of dealings in them (Article 14(1)). The interface is available in English.
Tip: enter the sign itself, without a domain or extra characters. For example, “2buy”, not “2buy.kz”, or you may get “no data” even though the mark exists.
2. The KAZPATENT electronic bulletin: kazpatent.kz/en/electronic-bulletin. Applications are published weekly in the bulletin, within five working days after the formal examination (Article 11-1(1)). No certificate has been issued yet, but priority is already set by the filing date (Article 10(1)), and such an application can also block yours (Article 7(1)(3)).
Mind the blind spot: before publication, information on how an application is progressing is not given to third parties (Article 11(3)), and the formal examination takes up to one month from filing (Article 11(1)(1)). An application filed a few weeks before yours will not show up in public databases.
3. WIPO Madrid Monitor: www3.wipo.int/madrid/monitor. Foreign companies extend protection of their marks to Kazakhstan through the Madrid System. Such marks are protected under international treaties and also block registration of a similar sign (Article 7(1)(1)). Check here if you have foreign competitors or work with imported brands.
4. A professional search. A specialist works with the same databases but looks further: assesses similarity in sound, appearance and meaning, checks whether the goods and services are related, reviews the absolute grounds of Article 6 and published applications, and gives an opinion on the risks. At KORGAN this search costs KZT 20,000 and is included in the price if we handle the registration. See our trademark registration service.
KAZPATENT also offers paid searches: a preliminary search of one word sign in one Nice class across national and international databases, including pending applications, costs from KZT 21,025 (20 working days) to KZT 168,200 (1 working day), and a comparative analysis for likelihood of confusion of a word sign with an expert opinion within a month costs KZT 121,821.75 (KAZPATENT fees from 1 January 2026, section 5, items 32 and 35).
The key point: three kinds of similarity
A database search finds matching letters. But the law bars registration not only of identical signs but also of signs similar to the point of confusion (Article 7(1)). In practice, similarity is assessed on three grounds.
Phonetic: how it sounds. Close or identical sounds, syllables and stress. A hypothetical example: “Alatau” and “Alatai” may be confused by ear.
Visual: how it looks. Shape, colour, font and layout of a logo. Two logos with different names can still be confusingly similar to the eye.
Conceptual: what it means. Different words with the same meaning, such as “Mage” and “Wizard”. Translations count too: check Kazakh, Russian and English versions as well as transliteration.
The key principle: similarity with an ordinary mark blocks registration only for the same or related goods and services (Article 7(1)(1) and (3)). “Alatai” for dairy products and “Alatai” for building materials are unlikely to clash. The exception is marks recognised as well-known in Kazakhstan: similarity with them blocks registration for any goods and services (Article 7(1)(2)).
Oppositions after publication: two months
Since 25 January 2026, amendments to the Trademark Law made by Law No. 233-VIII of 24 November 2025 have been in force. Under the current text, any interested party may file an opposition with KAZPATENT on the grounds of Articles 6 and 7 within two months of publication of the application (Article 11-2(1)). The applicant is notified within five working days and has three months to set out its position in writing (Article 11-2(2)–(3)). The examiner then decides taking into account both the opposition and the applicant’s position (paragraph 4).
In practice:
- the owner of a similar mark may spot your application in the bulletin and oppose it, even where the examiner would not have found a conflict;
- finding a conflict before filing is cheaper than answering an opposition after publication.
Self-search checklist
- Search the State Register for the sign, without a domain or extra characters.
- Check matches in your Nice classes and in classes of related goods and services.
- Check variants that sound similar: change a letter, change the ending.
- Check translations and transliteration: Kazakh, Russian, Latin script.
- Look through recent issues of the bulletin for published applications that have no certificate yet.
- Check Madrid Monitor if you work with foreign brands or partners.
- Make sure the sign is not made up only of descriptive words: kind, quality, purpose, place of production (Article 6(1)).
Then get a professional similarity assessment: that cannot be done with a database search alone.
A common mistake: checking the name but forgetting the Nice classes
The Nice Classification of goods and services has 45 classes. Its 13th edition (NCL 13-2026) has applied since 1 January 2026 (WIPO). A mark is registered not “in general” but for a list of goods and services in specific classes (Article 9(2)(3)).
Search in your own classes and in classes of related goods. Opening a coffee shop: look at class 43 (services for providing food and drink). Producing coffee: class 30.
Keep the list precise and compact from the start. There is no cap of 10 items per class, but under the KAZPATENT fees from 1 January 2026 the base examination fee covers up to 10 items in each class, and each additional item costs extra. Items are counted against the alphabetical list of the Nice Classification: “clothing, footwear, headwear” counts as three items (KAZPATENT information letter, in Russian). The full cost breakdown is in our article “Trademark registration cost in Kazakhstan 2026“.
What to do if you find a similar mark
A similar sign in the database is not yet a refusal. Assess:
| Question | What it means |
|---|---|
| How similar are the signs? | If the similarity is weak, the examiner may not find a likelihood of confusion. A professional assessment is needed |
| Which classes is the other mark in? | If the goods and services are not related to yours, there may be no conflict (Article 7(1)(1)). The exception is a well-known mark (subparagraph 2) |
| Is the other registration still in force? | Marks whose registration has been declared invalid or terminated do not count (Article 7(1)(1)). But if the registration expired or the owner surrendered the mark, a similar mark cannot be registered for another person for one year from the termination date (Article 17) |
| Is the other mark in use? | Any interested party may challenge the registration in court if the mark has not been used for three years before the claim is filed (Article 19(4)) |
| Will the owner consent? | A similar mark for related goods can be registered with the owner’s written consent: from a company, on letterhead, signed and sealed (if it has a seal); from an individual, with a notarised signature (Article 7(1)) |
In each case you need a lawyer’s assessment: it decides whether to change the sign, narrow the list of goods, or negotiate with the owner.
What this means for you
Launching a new brand? Check the name before you print packaging, order signage or launch a website. Rebranding after a conflict is found costs much more.
Selling on marketplaces? The owner of a registered similar mark may demand that you stop selling under your name. More in our article “Trademark for Marketplace Sellers in Kazakhstan“.
Trading under a brand for years without registration? Check whether a similar mark or application has appeared in the meantime. This matters if you plan to register now: the right to a mark arises from the date of registration (Article 4(2)), and priority is set by the filing date (Article 10(1)). How to protect a mark that is being copied is covered in “Trademark infringement protection in Kazakhstan“.
Buying a business with a brand? Check that the mark is registered to the seller and for which goods. The register records dealings in the mark (Article 14(1)(7)): assignment, licences and pledge of the right (Article 21). Ask for an extract from the register.
Work with KORGAN
KORGAN law firm has been in business since 2014. Trademark searches and registrations are handled by our team of lawyers.
After the search you receive an opinion: you can file; there are risks, and which ones; or in its current form the mark is likely to be refused. The search costs KZT 20,000 and is included in the price if we handle the registration. How full-service registration works is described on our trademark registration page, and an overview of all types of intellectual property is in our guide to IP in Kazakhstan. Who owns a logo created by a designer is covered in a separate article.
We checked the provisions against the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Trademarks, Service Marks, Geographical Indications and Appellations of Origin” and the fees against the KAZPATENT fee schedule.
Frequently asked questions
Can I check a trademark in Kazakhstan for free?
Yes. Registered marks can be searched in the State Register at gosreestr.kazpatent.kz, and published applications in the KAZPATENT electronic bulletin. But the search finds matching letters, while similarity in sound, appearance and meaning is hard to judge on your own.
Should I check pending applications or only registered marks?
Both. An earlier application by another person is also a ground for refusal (Article 7(1)(3) of the Trademark Law), even if no certificate has been issued yet. Applications appear in the bulletin after the formal examination.
What does “similar to the point of confusion” mean?
Two signs are not the same but are so close in sound, appearance or meaning that consumers may confuse them. For an ordinary mark, this blocks registration only for the same or related goods and services (Article 7(1)).
How long do competitors have to oppose my application?
Two months from publication of the application in the bulletin (Article 11-2(1) of the Trademark Law, as in force since 25 January 2026). The applicant then has three months from notification to respond.
Can I register a mark right away if someone else’s registration has expired?
Not right away. If a registration expired or the owner surrendered the mark, an identical or similar mark cannot be registered for another person for one year from the termination date (Article 17 of the Trademark Law).
Do I need a search if my brand name is in Kazakh?
Yes. Check all versions: Kazakh, Russian and Latin spelling, as well as translations and transliteration, since similarity in meaning counts too.
Contact us
The first consultation is free.
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Or message us on WhatsApp. Our contacts: korgan-zan.kz/en/contacts-en.