Intellectual property in Bangladesh covers trademarks, patents, industrial designs and geographical indications, registered at DPDT, and copyright, registered at the Copyright Office. Key laws are the Trademarks Act 2009, Bangladesh Patent Act 2022, the industrial designs law, the Geographical Indication of Goods Act 2013 and the Copyright Act 2023. A sound IP strategy combines registration, ownership contracts, licensing and enforcement.
For many Bangladeshi businesses, intellectual property is the most valuable asset on a balance sheet that does not show it: the brand customers ask for, the software the company sells, the packaging design competitors imitate, the product formula. Yet IP in Bangladesh is often unregistered, owned by the wrong person, or not covered by any written agreement.
This page is a strategic overview. It explains the types of IP recognised in Bangladesh, where each is registered, and how to build a practical protection plan. Detailed filing guides are on our trademark registration, patent registration and copyright registration pages. It is written for founders, brand owners, software companies and foreign rights holders entering the Bangladesh market.
On this page
Types of intellectual property in Bangladesh
- Trademarks and service marks: brand names, logos, slogans and trade dress, registered at DPDT under the Trademarks Act 2009
- Patents: new technical inventions, registered at DPDT under the Bangladesh Patent Act 2022
- Industrial designs: the visual appearance of a product, registered at DPDT
- Geographical indications: products linked to a region, such as Jamdani or Hilsa, under the Geographical Indication of Goods Act 2013
- Copyright: software, literary, artistic, musical and audiovisual works, registered at the Copyright Office under the Copyright Act 2023
- Trade secrets and confidential information, protected through contracts and confidentiality practices rather than registration
Starting with an IP audit
An IP audit lists what the business uses and creates, checks who legally owns each item, and identifies what is registered, pending or unprotected. It also checks for risk: are you using a brand that someone else has already filed, or software written by a freelancer who never assigned it?
The output is a short register of assets with a recommended action for each: register, assign, license, monitor or leave. For startups preparing for investment, this register often becomes part of due diligence.
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Ownership: the most common weak point
In Bangladesh it is common for a brand to be filed in a founder's name, a logo to be designed by an agency without an assignment, or code to be written by contractors under a verbal arrangement. When the company is sold, raises capital or falls out with the founder or contractor, these gaps become expensive.
Fixing ownership is usually simple while relationships are good: written assignments, IP clauses in employment and service contracts, and recordal of assignments at DPDT or the Copyright Office.
Licensing, franchising and IP income
Registered IP can be licensed to distributors, franchisees or group companies. Licences should be in writing and, for trademarks, the licensee can be recorded with DPDT. Royalty payments to foreign IP owners involve Bangladesh Bank's foreign exchange rules, withholding tax under the Income Tax Act 2023 and VAT on imported services, so cross-border licensing needs tax planning as well as legal drafting.
Enforcement options
- Cease-and-desist letters to infringers based on registered rights
- Opposition to conflicting trademark applications published in the Trademarks Journal
- Rectification or cancellation actions against bad-faith registrations
- Civil suits for infringement or passing off, and criminal complaints where the law provides
- Platform takedown requests to marketplaces and social media using registration certificates
- Engagement with Customs on counterfeit imports where the procedure is available
How the process works
- Discovery callWe learn what the business sells, how it brands its products and what it creates in-house or through contractors.
- IP auditWe list IP assets, check ownership and registration status, and search for conflicting rights.
- Protection planWe recommend which assets to register, in which classes or categories, and in what order, with indicative timelines.
- Filings and contractsWe file trademark, design, patent or copyright applications and put assignments and IP clauses in place.
- Monitoring and enforcementWe watch the Trademarks Journal and the market, and act on infringements when needed.
Typical timeline: An IP audit is usually completed within a couple of weeks of receiving information; registrations then follow each office's process, which ranges from a few months for copyright to one or more years for trademarks and patents, depending on objections and processing.
How Tax & VAT Associates helps
- IP audit and asset register for your business
- Trademark, patent, design and copyright filings in Bangladesh
- Assignments, employment IP clauses, NDAs and licence agreements
- Tax and foreign exchange review of royalty and licence payments
- Journal watching, oppositions, takedowns and enforcement coordination
Frequently asked questions
Which office handles intellectual property in Bangladesh?
Trademarks, patents, industrial designs and geographical indications are handled by the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (DPDT) under the Ministry of Industries. Copyright is handled by the Bangladesh Copyright Office under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. Geographical indications are also registered at DPDT.
What IP should a startup register first?
Usually the brand name and logo as trademarks, because brand conflicts are the most common and expensive to fix later. Software startups should also register copyright in their core product and make sure every developer has signed an assignment. Patents are relevant only where there is a genuinely new technical invention.
Does registering a company name protect it as a trademark?
No. RJSC name clearance and incorporation prevent another company from registering the same company name, but they do not give trademark rights over the name for goods or services. To protect the brand in the market, file a trademark application at DPDT.
Are foreign trademarks and patents protected in Bangladesh?
Registered IP is territorial, so foreign registrations do not automatically apply. Foreign owners should file in Bangladesh, using Paris Convention priority where available. Copyright in works from Berne Convention countries is protected without registration, though local registration helps enforcement. Plan local filings early.
Is paying royalties abroad subject to tax?
Generally yes. Royalty and licence fee payments to non-residents are subject to withholding tax under the Income Tax Act 2023, possibly reduced by a double tax treaty, and to VAT on imported services under the VAT and SD Act 2012. The remittance is processed by an AD bank under Bangladesh Bank's guidelines.
What is an industrial design registration?
An industrial design registration protects the new or original visual appearance of a product, such as its shape, pattern or ornamentation, rather than how it works. It is filed at DPDT and is useful for furniture, packaging, consumer goods, textiles and jewellery, where competitors often copy the look. Design protection should be sought before the design is publicly disclosed.
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Learn more →Last reviewed: . Bangladesh tax and regulatory rules change with each Finance Act, SRO and authority circular. This page is general guidance; confirm current requirements for your case before filing.