Acceptance Criteria

Natural persons, legal persons, or other organizations that require exclusive rights to trademarks for their goods or services in production and business activities shall apply for trademark registration with the Trademark Office of the China National Intellectual Property Administration.

Access Channels

1. Trademark Registration Hall of the Trademark Office, halls of various trademark examination collaboration centers, local intellectual property service acceptance windows, and trademark service acceptance windows;

2. China Trademark Network (https://sbj.cnipa.gov.cn).

Application Documents

Trademark Registration Application Form, resident identity certificate, certificate of legal person status, or identity documents for other organizations. Applicants who are natural persons from the Chinese mainland shall also provide documents proving their eligibility to engage in production and business activities (such as a business license for a self-employed business, a rural land contract management agreement, etc.). In accordance with Articles 25 and 26 of the Trademark Law of the People's Republic of China, a written declaration claiming priority rights shall be submitted at filing the trademark registration application, along with priority certification documents (such as a copy of the initial trademark registration application, proof of the first use of the trademark on goods exhibited at an international exhibition, etc.) within three months, including the original and a complete Chinese translation. For applications to register collective trademarks or certification trademarks, relevant documents shall be attached; if a trademark agency is entrusted to handle the application, the Power of Attorney for Trademark Agency shall be submitted.

Processing Procedures

1. Filling out the Trademark Registration Application Form and preparing other application documents. Applicants can download the Trademark Registration Application Form from the "Application Forms" section on the trademark application page of the China Trademark Network (https://sbj.cnipa.gov.cn/sbj/sbsq/sqss/).

2. Submitting the application

(1) Online submission: Log in to the Online Trademark Service System (https://sbj.cnipa.gov.cn/sbj/wssq/) via the Internet to apply online. For specific instructions, refer to the "Online Application" section of the China Trademark Network;

(2) In-person submission: Submit the application in person at the Trademark Registration Hall of the Trademark Office, the halls of various trademark examination collaboration centers, local intellectual property service acceptance windows, or trademark service acceptance windows;

(3) Entrust a trademark agency registered with the Trademark Office: Applicants may voluntarily choose any trademark agency registered with the Trademark Office of the China National Intellectual Property Administration to handle the application. All trademark agencies registered with the Trademark Office of the China National Intellectual Property Administration are listed in the "Trademark Agencies" section of the China Trademark Network (https://sbj.cnipa.gov.cn).

3. Formal examination of the registration application. The Trademark Office of the China National Intellectual Property Administration will process the application documents received and may request the applicant to make amendments if necessary. If the application documents meet the requirements of formal examination, the Trademark Office of the China National Intellectual Property Administration will notify the applicant to pay the fees.

4. Paying the fees. After receiving the payment notice, the applicant shall pay the fees within the specified time. For online submission, the applicant shall make the payment through the online trademark application system. For submission in paper form, the applicant shall log in to the registered online application platform to make the payment online (if the documents are submitted directly at the Trademark Registration Hall, the applicant can pay the fees at the hall with the payment notice bearing the payment code). If the applicant has entrusted an agency to handle the application, the entrusted agency shall pay the fees on behalf of the applicant in accordance with relevant regulations. For the fee schedule, refer to the website: https://sbj.cnipa.gov.cn/sbj/sbsq/sqzn/201912/t20191227_611.html.

5. Substantive examination of the registration application. If the fees are paid in full and on time, the Trademark Office of the China National Intellectual Property Administration will accept the application documents and conduct a substantive examination.

6. Preliminary approval announcement. If the application documents meet the requirements of substantive examination, a preliminary approval announcement will be made.

7. Issuing the trademark registration certificate. In case no objections are raised during the announcement period, the registration will be approved, and a trademark registration certificate will be issued.