China Trademark Registration
Short answer: China is a first-to-file market, so whoever files the identical or similar mark first usually wins regardless of who used it longer. An accepted application normally takes around 7-9 months to register and the certificate lasts 10 years from the filing date. If your brand sells into China or is manufactured there, filing early matters more than anything else in the portfolio.
How we work
Check identical and similar marks in the target classes, including pinyin and translation variants
Word mark, device mark or both separately — combined marks are easier to refuse and harder to enforce on one element
CNIPA issues an acceptance notice roughly a month after a well-formed filing
Marks that pass examination are published for a three-month opposition window
Registration issues a few months after publication; keep use evidence to defend against non-use cancellation
What you need to prepare
- Business licence of the applicant entity
- Trademark image and the colours, if any
- Goods and services grouped under CNIPA's class system
- Priority document if claiming convention priority
- Evidence of prior use where the mark is close to descriptive
Frequently asked questions
My company name was approved in business registration. Does that mean the trademark is available?
No. Company-name registration and trademark registration are separate systems run by different authorities. An approved company name gives you no exclusive right to use it as a brand on goods, and it will not stop an earlier trademark holder from acting against you.
Is a refusal the end of the road?
Not usually. A refusal can be appealed to the CNIPA review division, and the most common winning arguments are that the cited mark is dissimilar, that the goods are not similar, or that the cited mark is vulnerable to non-use cancellation or invalidation — which can be attacked in parallel.
What is the risk of registering and then never using the mark?
Any third party can petition to cancel a registered mark that has not been used for three consecutive years on the designated goods. Without dated sales, invoices or packaging evidence, the registration can be lost.
Should word marks and device marks be filed separately?
Usually yes. Separate filings let each element stand on its own, make it easier to license or enforce one element, and prevent a refusal on the figurative part from blocking the wording.
Want an assessment first?
Tell us the product and target marketplaces and we will give you a registrability opinion, a realistic timeline and a cost breakdown. Files can be submitted within 48 hours of confirmation.
