Practical guides on registering, using and protecting trademarks in China.
Your Latin-script registration does not protect the Chinese characters your customers actually read and search. Why the Chinese name is a separate mark, and how to choose one that survives examination.
Read articleChina divides each of the 45 Nice classes into subclasses, and CNIPA judges similarity within a subclass. Choosing the wrong one leaves you registered but unprotected.
Read articleA Chinese registration unused for three consecutive years can be cancelled by anyone, and the burden of proving use falls on you. What evidence is accepted, and where it breaks down.
Read articleThe refusal notice starts a 15-day clock. How to read the notice, tell an absolute ground from a relative one, and judge whether an appeal to TRAB is worth filing.
Read articleWhat the CNIPA register really tells you, how Chinese examiners judge similarity on sound, appearance and meaning, why your own class is not enough, and the blind period no search can see through.
Read articleA field-by-field guide to the Power of Attorney (POA) required for a China trademark filing — what to tick, what to leave blank, the mistakes that delay a filing, and whether you need notarisation.
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