The President of Kazakhstan has signed the Law of 24 November 2025 “On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Intellectual Property Issues,” which includes amendments to the Law “On Trademarks, Service Marks and Geographical Indications.”
Under the amendments, the timeframes for examination under the expedited procedure are being revised. A preliminary examination may now be conducted, at the applicant’s request, within 10 business days, compared to the standard one-month period. A full examination may be conducted, also at the applicant’s request, within 3 months from the filing date, whereas the previous timeframe was 4 months.
The law also extends the opposition period for challenging a trademark application. Currently, oppositions may be filed within 1 month from the date of publication. Following the amendments, this period will increase to 2 months.
The changes introduce the possibility of suspending the prosecution of a trademark application when an action is filed before a court. Previously, the law allowed suspension only upon submission of a petition linked to the filing of an opposition before the Appellate Board; now, prosecution may likewise be suspended due to the initiation of court proceedings.
Additionally, the amendments allow for postponement of opposition hearings before the Appellate Board upon the motion of either party. Under the previous rules, postponement was available only at the request of the opponent—the party filing the opposition. Following the amendments, any party to the proceedings may request a postponement.
The amendments will enter into force on 25 January 2026.