Trademark Registration in China

作者：Vicki Li (李晓芳)

日期：Jan 28^th，2026

There are two ways to register a trademark in China: one is through the Madrid System designating China, and the other is by directly filing a trademark application with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA). This article focuses on the latter.

In China, types of trademarks include product trademarks, service trademarks, certification trademarks, collective trademarks, and geographical indication trademarks. The content discussed in this article applies to product trademarks and service trademarks.

For applicants outside mainland China, including those from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and other countries, it is necessary to entrust a qualified Chinese agency to handle the application according to regulations in Chinese Trademark Law.

In 2019, China revised its Trademark Law for the fourth time. The current Trademark Law and Examination Guidelines stipulate that China’s trademark rights protection system prioritizes the principle of “first to file,” although “first to use” may be considered in special circumstances. 

Furthermore, a trademark registration certificate is also a crucial requirement for gaining access to major Chinese e-commerce platforms such as T-mall and JD.com.

Therefore, if one wants to protect their trademark rights in China, the first thing to consider is applying for trademark registration in China.

Requirements for a new trademark registration:

1. Trademark name, and logo if there is design element (acceptable formats: .jpg .pdf .png).

2. goods or service list. 

3. Identification certificate of the applicant(Scan copy works):

   business License (Incorporation Certificate ) of the applicant if it is a company；

   passport if the applicant is a natural person. 

4. Chinese version of the identification certificate 

If Chinese version is not available please provide an English version for us to do translation

5. Name and address of the applicant. 

both English version and Chinese version are necessary. When you only provide the English version, we can translate it into Chinese with no further charge.

6. POA sealed/signed by the applicant, scanned copy is OK.

Procedures for trademark registration for a smooth case:

Normally it will take 3-6 months for a trademark to be approved if there is no rejection, and the certificate will be issued in another 4-5 months if there is no opposition. 

So for a smooth case, it will take 7-11 month from filing to issuance of the registration certificate.

Timeline:

1. Application is filed within 1-3 days 

The application will be processed within 1-3 working days, after all info and docs are received, and the Application Receipt will be received the next day of the filing date.

2. Notice of Application Acceptance: 1-2 months from the filing date.

This means the application meets the formal requirements.

3. Substantive Examination：3-6 months from the filing date. 

China’s trademark examination adopts a substantive examination approach, reviewing applications from three aspects:

Whether it lacks distinctiveness;

Whether it violates the prohibited provisions stipulated in the Trademark Law;

Whether it is similar to a prior trademark;

If any of the above conditions are violated, the trademark will be rejected. Otherwise, the trademark will pass the preliminary examination and be published by the CNIPO (China National Intellectual Property Administration).

4. Publication period: 3 months

Any third party may file an opposition to the trademark during the publication period. The grounds for opposition include the reasons for refusal mentioned above, as well as conflicts with other prior rights such as copyrights, patent rights, and trade name rights, and other grounds stipulated by trademark law.

5.  Certificate of Registration: 1-2 months after the publication completed. The certificate is in electronic form.

Post registration maintenance

The term of trademark rights is 10 years from the application date.  Renewal can be processed within one year before the expiration date, or within six months after the expiration date with a grace period fee.

Chinese trademark law includes a non-use cancellation clause, meaning that any trademark that has not been used for three consecutive years after registration may have its protection revoked. The revocation process will be initiated based on an application from a third party.