Law Minister emphasises ongoing improvements to trademark registration services
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Minister of Law, Supratman Andi Agtas, has emphasised that his department is continuously working to improve trademark registration services, including efforts to accelerate the process while maintaining legal certainty.
Supratman stated that the government has proposed amendments to the Trademark Law and aims to increase the efficiency of the registration process to provide certainty to the business community. “We are reviewing the acceleration of trademark registration services through regulatory updates and administrative process improvements,” Supratman said during the “Pasti Ada Solusi” event in Surabaya, East Java, on Friday.
He noted that such acceleration must proceed in tandem with legal certainty so that the services provided can meet the needs of the public and the business world.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Law has resolved a public complaint submitted through the “Pasti Ada Solusi” programme regarding a proposed rejection of the ‘Amerta’ and ‘Nadi’ trademark applications belonging to PT Tri Ratna Diesel Indonesia, presented by Yohanes Indro Sodok, a representative of the company.
Yohanes explained that PT Tri Ratna Diesel Indonesia previously held registered trademarks for Amerta and Nadi in Class 7 under the company’s name. However, when subsequent applications were filed under the name of the President Director for a different class, the applications were proposed for rejection due to the difference in legal subjects between the individual applicant and the business entity.
Responding to this, the Director General of Intellectual Property at the Ministry of Law, Hermansyah Siregar, provided a technical explanation regarding the difference in legal subjects in trademark applications. He explained that trademark applications can be submitted by individuals or legal entities, making the identity of the applicant a crucial aspect of the examination process.
Hermansynth stated that the previous application for Class 7 was submitted by a limited liability company (PT), whereas the subsequent application for Class 12 was submitted by the director as an individual. During the substantive examination stage, examiners found similarities in the logos or labels of the Amerta and Nadi trademarks; since the two applications were submitted by different legal subjects, the subsequent application was proposed for rejection.
“The measure taken was the transfer of rights from the director to the company. Once the transfer of rights was completed, the process could proceed, as the application submitted by the director was re-submitted under the company,” he said.
He noted that according to system checks, the Amerta and Nadi trademark applications transferred to the company were issued as registered trademarks on 16 September 2026.
This explanation also serves as part of public education regarding the importance of understanding administrative provisions and ownership rights in the trademark registration process. The transfer of trademark rights is a mechanism regulated under Article 41 of Law Number 20 of 2016 concerning Trademarks and Geographical Indications.
This provision stipulates that rights to a registered trademark may be transferred through inheritance, wills, endowments, grants, agreements, or other reasons permitted by law, and can be executed during the application process. In practice, the transfer of rights must be recorded with the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DJKI) accompanied by supporting documents in accordance with applicable regulations.
Therefore, applicants must ensure the consistency of applicant identity, trademark ownership status, supporting documents, and other administrative data from the initial filing to ensure the registration process follows regulations and to reduce the risk of rejection or future legal disputes.
The Directorate General of Intellectual Property of the Ministry of Law urges the public, business actors, and trademark applicants to understand the provisions for registration and the transfer of trademark rights before submitting applications. Accuracy in administrative data and clarity in trademark ownership are essential to support legal certainty and trademark protection for businesses.