Customs IP Recordal in India (ICeR): Process, Fees and a Searchable Guide
How to record your trademark, design, copyright or GI with Indian Customs on the ICeR portal, what it costs, what is excluded, and how to keep the recordal useful after you file. Last verified October 2026.
How-to Guide · Customs IP Recordal
Counterfeit goods usually arrive at an Indian port long before they reach a shop or a marketplace. If Customs does not know your brand, it has no reason to stop the shipment. Recording your IP with Customs fixes that. This guide explains customs IP recordal in India on the ICeR portal of ICEGATE: who can file, what you need, what it costs, what is not covered, and what to do after the recordal is accepted. Last verified October 2026.
- Where to file: the ICeR portal on ICEGATE (ipr.icegate.gov.in).
- What is covered: five IPR categories on the portal. Patents are excluded from the Rules since June 2018.
- Fee: Rs 2,000 per application notice (source dated 2019, re-verify), plus a bond with security.
- Reach: one recordal is meant to cover all ports.
- Rules: Notifications 47 and 49/2007-Customs (N.T.), and Circular 41/2007.
01Why record your IP with Customs
Customs officers clear thousands of consignments every day. They cannot tell a genuine product from a fake one unless the rights holder has told them what to look for.
Without a recordal, Customs has little to act on
Under the Intellectual Property Rights (Imported Goods) Enforcement Rules, 2007, Customs acts on notices given by rights holders. A recorded right gives officers a reference: your mark, your design, your product details and a contact person.
Waiting for the goods to reach the market is costly
Once fakes are in shops or on marketplaces, you move to takedowns, raids and court action. A border recordal is a cheaper first line of defence for brands that import-risk goods, such as electronics, auto parts, cosmetics, apparel and spares.
This guide covers only the recordal process. For the wider topic, see our guide to brand protection and anti-counterfeiting in India.
Not legal advice
Customs rules and portal screens change. Treat this guide as a map, and check the current rules and the ICeR portal before you file. Items we could not confirm are kept general in this guide.
02What ICeR covers and what it does not
ICeR is the Indian Customs IPR recordation portal, run on ICEGATE (ipr.icegate.gov.in). It lets rights holders record their rights online with Customs.
The five IPR categories on the portal
The portal gives separate options for five categories: copyright, trademarks, patents, designs and geographical indications (GI).
Patents are excluded
The Rules were amended in 2018 and patents were removed from the scope of Customs enforcement under the Rules. In practice, a patent holder cannot rely on this recordal route for border action. The portal may still show a patents option, so do not assume it means patents are enforceable at the border.
Which notifications matter
The Rules were notified as Notification No. 47/2007-Customs (N.T.) dated 8 May 2007. A companion Notification No. 49/2007-Customs (N.T.) of the same date is also commonly cited alongside them. Circular No. 41/2007-Customs gave the instructions for implementation (see the WIPO Lex entry).
One recordal, all ports
A recordal is made once, with Customs centrally, and it is meant to cover all Indian ports and customs stations. You do not file port by port.
03Before you file: what to keep ready
Most delays come from missing papers, not from the portal. Keep these ready before you start.
- Proof of the right: the registration certificate or application details for the trademark, design, copyright or GI. Check that the details on record at the registry are current.
- Applicant details: the rights holder or an authorised representative, with address, email and phone.
- Product information: what the genuine goods look like, packaging, labels, serial or batch patterns, usual manufacturing places, authorised importers and licensees.
- Known infringers or risk points: any known source countries, ports or importers, if you have them.
- Bond papers: the Rules require a bond with security or surety, plus an undertaking that protects importers and covers costs such as destruction, demurrage and detention.
- A contact for Customs: a person who can answer quickly. Customs may need to reach you within a short time when a consignment is held.
If your IP is not yet registered, finish that first. A recordal is only as strong as the right behind it.
04Step-by-step process
- Register on the ICeR portal. Create a user account on ipr.icegate.gov.in with the rights holder or the authorised representative’s details.
- Choose the category. Select the right you are recording: trademark, design, copyright or GI. Patents are excluded from the Rules.
- Fill in the application notice. Enter the right’s details, product details, authorised importers and contact information.
- Upload documents. Add the registration proof, images of genuine goods and other supporting material the form asks for.
- Pay the application fee. The Rules require proof of payment of Rs 2,000 with each notice (see the next section).
- Get a temporary number. After you submit, the portal gives a Unique Temporary Registration Number (UTRN).
- Complete the bond and security. Registration depends on executing the bond with surety and security, as required by the Rules.
- Wait for Customs to examine. Customs reviews the notice and may ask for more details. Once accepted, the right is recorded and can be acted on at the border.
Screen names and exact upload formats change from time to time. Use the portal’s own user guide for the current layout.
05Fees and bond
The Rules say each application notice must come with proof of payment of an application fee of Rs 2,000. This figure comes from the 2007 Rules and from law-firm summaries published since 2019. It may have changed, so check the portal at the time of filing.
| Item | What the sources say | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | Rs 2,000 per notice (Rules, 2007) | Current amount on the portal, and whether it is per right or per notice |
| Bond and security | Bond with surety and security is required | Amount and format; ask your customs counsel |
| Professional fees | Varies by firm | Get a written quote; not set by Customs |
| Taxes | Not stated in the Rules | GST on professional fees is usually extra |
Professional fees are your own business decision. We have not listed any firm’s price here. Ask for a written quote and its GST status.
06After recordal: keeping it useful
A recordal is not a one-time job. It works only if the information stays correct.
Respond fast when Customs calls
If Customs suspects infringing goods, it may contact you to check the goods. A slow reply can mean the goods are released. Keep a named contact and a back-up.
Watch the underlying right
Customs recordal depends on a live registration. If a trademark renewal is missed or a registration lapses, the recordal loses its base. Track renewals, and refresh the recordal when the right is renewed or its details change.
Know what happens in a dispute
If goods are detained, the matter can turn into proceedings and sometimes into court action. Importers can also challenge a detention. Keep your evidence of ownership organised and know which court you will go to. For how recordal fits into a bigger case workflow, see running IP registry and litigation in one workflow.
Know the limits of border action
Customs recordal stops imports at the border. It does not remove fakes made inside India or sold on marketplaces. For those, you need other tools.
07Where Claw fits
Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.
A recordal is only as strong as the registration behind it and the court action around it. Claw tracks cases, orders and hearings across 9,102 courts, benches and forums, with 30 crore+ judgments, Supreme Court records from 1950 and High Court records from 1990, and results in under 5 seconds. Claw does not use customer documents to train AI models.
Create a FREE Claw account to follow any suit or detention matter linked to your brand alongside the registry side, and to run case search across Indian courts.
08Sources and further reading
- ICeR, Indian Customs IPR Recordation Portal: ipr.icegate.gov.in
- Intellectual Property Rights (Imported Goods) Enforcement Rules, 2007: indiacode.nic.in
- Circular No. 41/2007-Customs: WIPO Lex
- Claw: clawlaw.in
Last verified October 2026. Fee and portal details can change. Always confirm on the primary sources above before filing.
09Frequently asked questions
What is customs IP recordal in India?
It is a process where a rights holder records a trademark, design, copyright or GI with Indian Customs, so officers can detect and detain infringing imports. It runs on the ICeR portal of ICEGATE under the Intellectual Property Rights (Imported Goods) Enforcement Rules, 2007.
How much does ICeR recordal cost?
The Rules require an application fee of Rs 2,000 per notice, plus a bond with surety and security. The fee figure is from a 2019 era source, so confirm it on the portal. Professional fees are separate and vary by firm.
Can I record a patent with Customs?
No. Patents were removed from the scope of the Rules by an amendment in 2018, so patents are not covered for border enforcement under this route.
Do I need to record at each port?
No. The recordal is made once on the central portal and is meant to cover all ports. Confirm this on the ICeR user guide when you file.
Which law governs customs IP recordal?
The Intellectual Property Rights (Imported Goods) Enforcement Rules, 2007, notified as Notification No. 47/2007-Customs (N.T.), with Circular No. 41/2007-Customs giving implementation instructions.
Does Claw file customs recordals?
No. Claw does not file ICeR recordals. It helps track the registry and court side of IP, including trademark renewals, journal conflicts and IP litigation, in one platform. IP tracking is included in the Premium plan, not sold separately.