News: Trademark registration in China

Registration of trademark in China

China is one of the leading countries in the world economy, therefore trademarks in China are being registered by residents of many other states.

The foregoing procedure is characterized by corresponding peculiarities, but the benefits of fully-fledged protection of the rights to the trademark are more remarkable and significant in this situation.

Stages of trademark registration in China

Registration of trademark in China consists of several stages, namely:

• Submission of application required for registration of trademark; In China, the foregoing can submitted by any legal or natural person, but it is our company that will allow to prepare and properly compile the necessary documents; this stage separately includes the payment of necessary fees;

• Examination of trademark and verification of documents, during which the Chinese authorities carry out all necessary examinations concerning the trademark requiring registration;

• Official publication of information regarding particular trademark, fully consistent with Chinese law; Announcement of preliminary approval;

• Possibility of filing objection to the decision of the expert commission, for example, in case of publication of the refusal in registration;

• Final registration and issuance of official certificate valid for the period of ten years.

In 2014, the rules for registration of trademark in China were completely updated, becoming more simplified and understandable for foreign citizens.

At the moment, when considering applications for registration of two similar trademarks, the principle of priority is in force, meaning that preference is given to the trademark which application for registration was filed first.