{"id":19198,"date":"2025-10-29T03:57:51","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T03:57:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/?p=19198"},"modified":"2026-04-20T11:27:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T11:27:46","slug":"a-complete-guide-to-trademarking-in-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/a-complete-guide-to-trademarking-in-china\/","title":{"rendered":"Trademarking in China"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"19198\" class=\"elementor elementor-19198\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5af99c98 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5af99c98\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0823f1b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0823f1b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A trademark represents, identifies, and differentiates a brand from others. It protects the image and intellectual property of a business from infringement. Trademarks are invaluable assets that make it easy for customers to identify and find the products or services of a business.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/biggest-banks-china\/\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"142\">China has one of the biggest<\/a> consumer markets globally, which is why international companies want to penetrate its huge potential for expansion and profit. If you are planning to expand into China, learning how the trademark process works is vital to your business growth and the protection of your business\u2019s identity.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8f0ebb9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8f0ebb9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/china-market-entry\/\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10802 aligncenter\" title=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Market_Entry_Ad_resized_final.png\" alt=\"Market Entry Ad resized final\" width=\"1000\" height=\"573\" \/><\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-174176c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"174176c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Trademark in China<\/h2><p>According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/china-new-foreign-investment-law\/\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"143\">China Trademark Law<\/a>, any sign, including words, devices, letters, numerals, three-dimensional signs, a mixture of colors, sounds, or a combination of any of these, can be registered as a trademark to distinguish the products and services of a person or organization.<\/p><p>In China, a first-to-file policy is in effect (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca\/en\/market-industry-info\/search-country-region\/country\/canada-china-export\/protecting-intellectual-property.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Trade Commissioner Service (Canada)<\/a>). It grants exclusive rights to registrants who applied first for the trademark, and receive legal protection of the highest degree for its exclusive use in the country, as confirmed by <a href=\"https:\/\/trademarkroom.com\/blog\/item\/trademark-regulations-china-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Trademark Room<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e40a1cc elementor-position-left elementor-vertical-align-middle elementor-position-top speak-expert-new elementor-widget elementor-widget-global elementor-global-41638 elementor-widget-image-box\" data-id=\"e40a1cc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-image-box-wrapper\"><figure class=\"elementor-image-box-img\"><a href=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/contact\/\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/shanghai-china.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-21671\" alt=\"Shanghai China\" srcset=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/shanghai-china.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/shanghai-china-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/shanghai-china-768x432.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><div class=\"elementor-image-box-content\"><div class=\"elementor-image-box-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/contact\/\">Ask Your Questions to Our Experts<\/a><\/div><p class=\"elementor-image-box-description\">Send us your questions and we will answer within 24 hours\n<span>Message &nbsp;\u2192<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-661034d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"661034d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Trademark Registration Requirements<\/h2><p>There are four aspects that you should satisfy first to be eligible to register a trademark in China:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9e7e4ae elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9e7e4ae\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li><strong>Legal &#8211;<\/strong> It cannot be the same as or similar to the name or flag of a country or international organization. It also must not discriminate against nationality or promote exaggerated or fraudulent advertising.<\/li><li><strong>Unique &#8211;<\/strong> It should not be the same as or similar to existing trademarks and must be easily distinguishable from the brand of other providers of goods or services.<\/li><li><strong>Functional &#8211;<\/strong> It must not refer to the nature of the product or the product itself. For instance, a company selling apples cannot register either the image of the apple or trademark \u2018apple\u2019 because it\u2019s a generic name publicly used by everyone. Also, it cannot sabotage other trademarks by making it confusing for consumers to differentiate yours from other brands.<\/li><li><strong>Available &#8211;<\/strong> The trademark should be available and not yet in the China Trademark Office (CTMO) database.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b180758 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b180758\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Trademark Registration Process in China<\/h2><p><a href=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/service\/other-services\/trademark-registration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Registering a trademark in China<\/a> takes longer compared to other countries. You will have to go through the following processes:<\/p><ol><li>Determine if your trademark is already registered. You can search the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinatrademarkoffice.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CTMO official website<\/a> for similar trademarks, get comprehensive information on different trademarks, monitor the status of trademark applications, and stay up to date with new regulations and announcements on new trademarks.<\/li><li>Submit your application form and other required documents to the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC).<\/li><li>The SAIC will review your application and decide whether you can proceed, resolve issues, or provide other requirements. If confirmed to proceed, the SAIC will process the registration of the trademark.<\/li><li>The SAIC will issue the trademark, and you will receive a certificate of approval.<\/li><\/ol><p>The whole process takes approximately 12 to 16 months, depending on if the application requirements are met or whether you are required to submit further documentation. It will take longer to process the application if there are issues that arise during the application, such as bad faith trademark registration.<\/p><p>In case you are refused to use a particular trademark applied for, you can contact the TRAB (Trademark Review and Adjudication Board) for an appeal. The TRAB will handle the opposition, and the process can last for up to 12 months.<\/p><p>If you have no previous experience with trademark registration in China, it is best to work with a trademark agency to help with your registration. Should any dispute or problem arise during the application, they can help file the necessary documents and take care of the other processes that could delay the registration.<\/p><p>Keep in mind that you can only utilize the services of a Chinese trademark agency to handle the processing on your behalf, as the application is required to be written in Chinese.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-853c0d2 elementor-position-left elementor-vertical-align-middle elementor-position-top speak-expert-new elementor-widget elementor-widget-image-box\" data-id=\"853c0d2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-image-box-wrapper\"><figure class=\"elementor-image-box-img\"><a href=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/contact\/\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/shanghai-china.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-21671\" alt=\"Shanghai China\" srcset=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/shanghai-china.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/shanghai-china-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/shanghai-china-768x432.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><div class=\"elementor-image-box-content\"><div class=\"elementor-image-box-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/contact\/\">You\u2019re worried a local competitor will register your brand name in China before you do.<\/a><\/div><p class=\"elementor-image-box-description\">Don\u2019t leave your brand vulnerable \u2014 let MSA file your Chinese trademark quickly and correctly under the first-to-file system.\nRequest a consultation\n<span>Message &nbsp;\u2192<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2626e77 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2626e77\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Patent Application Fees<\/h2><p>When registering a trademark, you will have to pay the following fees:<\/p><p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1440\" src=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/A-Complete-Guide-to-Trademarking-in-China.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"577\" height=\"276\" \/><\/p><p>These are the minimum expenses you will usually face if you want to register a trademark in China. The cost will increase if you are opposing a bad faith trademark registration.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cd73ea1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cd73ea1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Validity Period for Trademarks in China<\/h2><p>Local and international trademark registrations are valid for 10 years. Renewal of a trademark should be filed six months before its expiration, which will extend its validity for another 10 years. Failure to renew the trademark will result in its automatic cancellation.<\/p><p>If the trademark is not used for commercial purposes within three years, you may lose its validity. Then, the trademark will again be available to those who want to register it.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-21372aa elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"21372aa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Do Trademarks Need to be Registered in Chinese Characters?<\/h2><p>You will be required to choose a Chinese trademark that sounds and translates meaningfully for your brand. There are two options to choose from when translating your trademark:<\/p><ul><li><strong>Phonetic Translation<\/strong><\/li><\/ul><p>This is for creating a Chinese name that sounds similar to the original English name of the trademark. It is best if the translated name means something positive in the Chinese language.<\/p><p>The best examples of successful phonetic translations are \u2018Kou Ke Ke Le\u2019 (Coca Cola), W\u00f2\u2019\u0113rw\u00f2 (Volvo), \u00c0od\u00ed (Audi), and B\u0113nch\u00ed (Benz).<\/p><ul><li><strong>Literal Translations<\/strong><\/li><\/ul><p>This is about choosing a Chinese name that corresponds best to the meaning of the trademark in its original English form. It does not have to sound the same when pronounced, but it should literally translate and pertain to the brand.<\/p><p>For instance, Microsoft is called Wei Ruan, which is the literal translation of the trademark. Apple is called \u2018Ping guo\u2019, which directly translates to \u2018apple\u2019 in the Chinese language.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a32f7c7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a32f7c7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>What is a Bad Faith Registration Trademark in China?<\/h2><p>A trademark is said to be registered in bad faith when it has been registered with the intent of profiting or seeking a ransom from the true owner of the trademark. A common example of bad faith trademark registration in China is by selling counterfeit goods under the trademark of another brand.<\/p><p>Another instance is by registering the trademark and selling it to its foreign owner for a profit. Regardless of the situation, true owners of the trademark have to challenge those who registered their brands in bad faith, which can be a lengthy, costly, and time-wasting process.<\/p><p>Bad faith trademark registrations can happen anywhere in the world, but <a href=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/china-value-added-tax-law\/\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"144\">China<\/a> is known for this practice because of its trademark law. Unlike in the US and in other countries where a \u2018first-to-use\u2019 rule is used, China enforces a \u2018first-to-file\u2019 policy on trademarks. This gives people the opportunity to register foreign trademarks and hold them as a hostage before the rightful owners even before the \u2018true owner\u2019 has had a chance which is enabled by <a href=\"https:\/\/patentpc.com\/blog\/understanding-chinas-trademark-law-why-first-to-file-matters-more-than-ever\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">China\u2019s first-to-file system<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-06ed7e1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"06ed7e1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Case Study &#8211; Major Companies that had Problems with Trademark Registration<\/h2><p>Even big companies are not safe from becoming victims of bad faith trademark registration.<\/p><p>Apple, for example, lost a trademark battle in China when they found out that the local business Xintong Tiandi known for selling handbags and other leather products had already registered the &#8220;IPHONE&#8221; trademark. The court ruled against Apple after it failed to prove that it was the more known brand in China before Xintong Tiandi registered the trademark in 2007.<\/p><p>Facebook also lost a trademark battle when Dr. Su filed for the name first in 2006. The company lost the trademark battle for more than a decade. Facebook also opposed another drinks and beverage company named \u2018face book\u2019, but eventually won in 2016.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-88073d4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"88073d4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Final Thoughts<\/h2><p>When filing for a trademark in China, it is best to map out your intentions and plan ahead. Bad faith trademark registration is not uncommon in the country, so if you plan to expand into the Chinese market, you should establish a timeline and make sure that no one will file for the same trademark ahead of you. Working with a Chinese trademark agency or legal partner will make the whole process easier for your business.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1478122c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1478122c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Trademark registration in China requires filing through the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) within 6 months of first use to secure priority rights, and applications average 12-18 months for approval. Filing without a local agent and in suboptimal categories risks rejection and vulnerability to squatters. MSA Asia secures your <a href=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/service\/other-services\/trademarks\/\">trademark registration<\/a> and manages CNIPA communications. <a href=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/contact\/\">Get in touch<\/a> to protect your brand.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A trademark represents, identifies, and differentiates a brand from others. It protects the image and intellectual property of a business from infringement. Trademarks are invaluable assets that make it easy for customers to identify and find the products or services of a business. China has one of the biggest consumer markets globally, which is why [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":19201,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"iawp_total_views":49,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-corporate-services"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19198","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19198"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19198\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47604,"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19198\/revisions\/47604"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19201"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}