DJKI Reviews Kompas Request to Close Four Sites Using Its Trademark
Photo: manfredrichter / Pixabay
According to a DJKI release, Indonesia's Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DJKI) held a verification meeting on 29 October 2026 on a request from PT Kompas Media Nusantara, publisher of the Kompas daily. Kompas wants four websites closed because, it says, they use the KOMPAS mark without its consent. The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) and the Press Council (Dewan Pers) also took part.
The process rests on Minister of Law Regulation No. 47 of 2025. Under it, DJKI examines the IP side of a complaint and makes a recommendation, while Komdigi decides whether to block a site. Kompas showed valid registrations for KOMPAS in Classes 35, 38 and 41. DJKI's trademark examiners said the word KOMPAS is the dominant element of the registered mark. They also said that news sites using the name relate to online news transmission services, which fall under Class 38.
The Press Council raised a separate point. Press companies must meet their own legal requirements, such as being a legal entity and naming a person responsible for content. Being a press outlet does not override IP law, and the two regimes have to be weighed side by side.
Komdigi noted that two of the sites were not registered as electronic system operators (PSE). It asked that site operators first receive a notice or warning before any recommendation goes forward.
DJKI reported that the outcome differed from site to site:
- One site, found not to meet press company criteria and not registered as a PSE, can be recommended for closure.
- For two others, Kompas must first send formal notices to the addresses listed on the sites.
- For the fourth, which lists the Kompas tower address, Kompas has to check whether the site actually belongs to its own group.
DJKI said it will send its recommendation to Komdigi only after the notice periods end.
The case shows that Indonesia's administrative site-closure route is not automatic, even for a famous mark. Rights holders should expect to prove registration in the right classes, deal with press law where news content is involved, and give operators formal notice first.
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