Direct answer
After a China trademark refusal, preserve the notice and its delivery evidence, identify exactly what was refused, and obtain a case-specific assessment before any response deadline. The applicant may have a refusal-review route under the current procedure.
First make the file complete
Keep the application number, filed mark, goods or services list, payment and filing records, the full refusal notice and proof of service. A screenshot of a portal result is useful for triage but does not replace the delivered document. Translate the notice accurately if the decision maker is outside China. Where only part of the goods is refused, show the refused and preliminarily approved parts separately.
Identify the review route
The CNIPA public-service guide has a dedicated section on review of a rejected trademark application. It lists the review application, refusal notice and, for relevant Madrid cases, the WIPO notification and Chinese translation among procedural materials. The current Trademark Law supplies the legal basis for review. The applicant should have a China professional verify which route applies, how the service date is proved and what the actual deadline is; this article does not docket a case.
Decide what the client is trying to preserve
A review may address the cited ground, while other actions can require a separate assessment of the mark or goods list. If a business is about to launch, also ask what commercial risk exists while registration is unresolved. Do not present a new filing, division or negotiation as an automatic substitute for a timely review.
Questions to put in a case brief
- Which decision was actually served?
- Does the notice refuse all goods or only some?
- What is the claimed legal ground and the cited evidence?
- Who will make and record the response decision?
Legal timing and limits
The 2019 amended Trademark Law is the applicable law on this source-check date. The 2026 revised Trademark Law was enacted in June 2026 and is scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2027. A matter crossing that date needs the governing text and any final implementing measures checked again; this guide does not apply the future law early.
This page is ChanYond’s independent explanation of public source material, not an official CNIPA or WIPO statement. Exact procedural deadlines, eligibility, fees and available remedies must be checked against the actual notice, the current official instructions and the facts of the matter. A filing or registration outcome is never guaranteed.
Official sources and scope
The links below are the official materials checked on 2 November 2026. For a particular matter, check the operative text, any implementing measures and the actual notice before acting.