Kathmandu, April 9 -- Out of 11 business firms summoned by the government to clarify alleged violations of trademark rules through a public notice, only two companies responded before the Wednesday deadline passed.

In the case of the remaining nine firms, the hearing will continue even in their absence. When defendants fail to present clarification, there is a high likelihood that the verdict will go against them, according to Shree Krishna Poudel, undersecretary at the law section of the Department of Industry.

As per the law, decisions on trademark infringement cases must be made within 90 days of filing. However, many such cases have remained pending for years, with some dating back over a decade. Poudel acknowledged that delays pers...