CHINA TRADEMARK KNOWLEDGE
Find the question behind your next decision.
Fifty guides from preparation and filing through maintenance, opposition and enforcement. Each points to official sources and the date-sensitive issues to check.
01 / 10 GUIDES
Before filing
Does a foreign brand need a Chinese trademark before entering China?
Separate market-entry decisions from automatic filing claims. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-02Who should own a China trademark: parent company or local entity?
Identify applicant identity, business control and transfer questions. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-03Should a foreign brand register its English name and Chinese name separately?
Map the actual signs used by customers and distributors. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-04How to clear a proposed China trademark before filing
Check official searches, similarity limits and human review. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-05What makes a mark distinctive in China?
Identify registrability questions without predicting an outcome. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-06How to choose a Chinese brand name for trademark filing
Connect naming, meaning, use and clearance. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-07Do logos, word marks and combined marks need separate filings?
Compare protection goals and the actual signs in use. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-08How should a brand choose goods and services for a China filing?
Map products to official classification wording and future plans. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-09Can one China trademark application cover several classes?
Explain multi-class planning and the need to check current forms. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-10What should an overseas IP firm collect before instructing China counsel?
Build an intake brief covering applicant, mark, goods and deadline. Read the guide ↗
02 / 8 GUIDES
Filing routes and documents
Direct China filing or Madrid designation: how to compare the routes
Compare eligibility, base mark, timing and case management. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-12How can a foreign applicant apply for a trademark in China?
Compare direct China filing and Madrid designation, including applicant and agency conditions. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-13Can a foreign individual file a China trademark directly?
Separate habitual-residence exception from general cases. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-14What documents does a foreign company need for a China filing?
Make a document checklist tied to the current CNIPA guide. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-15When is a power of attorney needed for a China trademark matter?
Identify route and representative before giving a form list. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-16How does priority work for a foreign applicant in China?
Distinguish claimed basis, document and deadline verification. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-17What is the Madrid System and what is the basic mark?
Explain eligibility and dependency without implying global protection. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-18How does a Madrid registration designate China?
Separate WIPO processing from China examination. Read the guide ↗
03 / 8 GUIDES
During application
What happens after a China trademark application is filed?
Map receipt, examination, publication and decision checkpoints. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-20How to check the status of a China trademark application
Explain official search and when records may lag. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-21What is a China trademark formality correction notice?
Describe how to identify requested material and deadline from the notice. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-22Why can a China trademark application be refused?
Group absolute and relative issues without diagnosing a case. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-23What should an applicant do after receiving a refusal notice?
Identify document, service date and review route for counsel. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-24Can goods or services be divided after a partial refusal?
Frame the division question for current procedure review. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-25How are same-day China trademark applications handled?
Identify priority and evidence questions, not a guaranteed result. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-26What does preliminary publication mean for a China mark?
Separate preliminary approval, opposition window and registration. Read the guide ↗
04 / 6 GUIDES
Opposition and review
Who may oppose a preliminarily published China trademark?
Distinguish legal grounds and standing by current law. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-28How to monitor China trademark publications for conflicts
Build a watch process with source, interval and escalation owner. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-29What evidence belongs in a China trademark opposition?
List evidence categories for professional case assessment. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-30How should an applicant respond to a China trademark opposition?
Record notice, claims, documents and counsel-review timeline. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-31What is a refusal review in China trademark practice?
Separate review of refusal from opposition and invalidation. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-32What happens if a China trademark opposition is unsuccessful?
Map potential next procedures without predicting availability. Read the guide ↗
05 / 6 GUIDES
After registration
When does a China trademark registration need renewal?
Check register date and current legal window before docketing. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-34How to record a trademark owner name or address change in China
Separate recordal from assignment and identify documents. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-35How to transfer a China registered trademark
Cover portfolio scope and affected similar marks for review. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-36Can a China trademark be licensed to a distributor?
Explain ownership, agreement and recordal questions. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-37What use evidence should a China trademark owner retain?
Create a dated, product-linked evidence checklist. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-38What happens if a China trademark is not used for three years?
Describe cancellation risk and case-specific defenses. Read the guide ↗
06 / 8 GUIDES
Disputes and enforcement
What to do if someone files a similar China trademark
Triage status: pending, published or registered. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-40How to respond when a Chinese translation is registered by another party
Collect name history, use and relationship evidence. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-41Opposition, invalidation or non-use cancellation: which issue is it?
Decision tree by target mark status and grounds. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-42How does non-use cancellation work in China?
Separate applicant burden and registrant evidence. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-43How to respond to a non-use cancellation request
Build evidence chronology without treating exports automatically. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-44What can a foreign brand do about counterfeit listings in China?
Distinguish platform complaint from administrative or judicial action. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-45How should a brand document suspected trademark infringement?
Preserve source, time, product and chain-of-custody questions. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-46Can a China trademark registration help with customs protection?
Identify separate recordal and customs evidence questions. Read the guide ↗
07 / 4 GUIDES
Law and official updates
China Trademark Law 2026: what changes on 1 January 2027?
Show announced effective date and topics needing transition review. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-48How to read a CNIPA trademark notice before changing a filing plan
Separate adopted rule, draft consultation and operational notice. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-49What the 2026 revision says about bad-faith applications
Compare current and future wording with effective-date labels. Read the guide ↗
CN-TM-50What the 2026 revision means for online trademark use
Mark future-law scope; avoid applying it before commencement. Read the guide ↗