Chapter 1 General Provisions

Article 1 This Law is formulated for the purpose of improving the administration of trademarks, protecting the right to exclusive use of trademarks and encouraging producers and operators to guarantee the quality of their goods and services and maintain the reputation of their trademarks, so as to protect the interests of consumers and of producers and operators, and to promote the development of the socialist market economy.

Article 2 The Trademark Office of the administrative department for industry and commerce under the State Council shall be in charge of the trademark registration and administration throughout the country.

The administrative department for industry and commerce under the State Council shall establish a Trademark Review and Adjudication Board to be responsible for handling trademark disputes.

Article 3 Registered trademarks are those that have been approved and registered by the Trademark Office, including commodity trademarks, service trademarks, collective marks and certification marks; trademark registrants shall be entitled to the right to exclusive use of their trademarks and shall be protected by law.

Collective marks used in this Law shall refer to the marks that are registered in the name of groups, associations or other organizations and that are provided to the members of the said organizations for business activity use, thus to indicate the membership of the users in the said organizations.

Certification marks used in this Law shall refer to the marks that are controlled by the organizations with supervising power over some kind of commodities or services yet are used by the units or individuals apart from the said organizations on their commodities or services, thus to certificate the origins, raw materials, manufacturing methods, quality or other specific characteristics of the said commodities or services.

The special matters concerning the registration and administration of collective marks and certification marks shall be provided for by the department for industry and commerce under the State Council.

Article 4 Any natural person, legal person or other organization that needs to acquire the right to exclusive use of a trademark for the commodities it produces, manufactures, processes, selects or markets shall file an application for commodity trademark registration with the Trademark Office.

Any natural person, legal person or other organization that needs to acquire the right to exclusive use of a trademark for the service items it provides shall file an application for service trademark registration with the Trademark Office.

The provisions of this Law relating to commodity trademarks shall be applicable to the service trademarks.

Article 5 Two or more natural persons, legal persons or other organizations may jointly apply to the Trademark Office for the registration of the same trademark, and enjoy and exercise the right to exclusive use of that trademark jointly.

Article 6 With respect to the commodities that the state has designated as requiring the use of a registered trademark, an application for trademark registration must be filed; the commodities may not be sold on the market before the registration is granted.

Article 7 The user of a trademark shall be responsible for the quality of the commodities on which the trademark is used. The administrative departments for industry and commerce at all levels shall, by means of trademark administration, stop any practices that deceive the consumers.

Article 8 An application for trademark registration may be filed for any visible mark including word, design, letter, number, 3D (three-dimension) mark or color combination, or the combination of the elements above mentioned, that can distinguish the commodities of the natural person, legal person or other organization from those of others.

Article 9 The trademark for which an application for registration is filed shall have distinctive characteristics easy to identify, and may not conflict with the legal rights acquired by others in priority.

A trademark registrant has the right to mark the words “Registered trademark” or a sign indicating that the trademark is registered.

Article 10 The following marks may not be used as trademarks:

1) those identical with or similar to the national name, national flag, national emblem, military flag or medals of the People’s Republic of China, as well as those identical with the names of the specific sites or the names and designs of the symbol buildings of the places where the central government agencies are located;

2) those identical with or similar to the national name, national flag, national emblem or military flag of any foreign country, except with the consent of the government of that country;

3) those identical with or similar to the name, flag, or emblem of any intergovernmental international organization, except with the consent of that organization and those unlikely to mislead the public;

4) those identical with or similar to the official marks, inspection marks that indicate the controlling or providing guarantee, except with authorization;

5) those identical with or similar to the name or symbol of the Red Cross or the Red Crescent;

6) those having the nature of discrimination against any nationality;

7) those constituting exaggerated advertising and are deceitful; and

8) those detrimental to socialist morality or customs, or having other harmful influences.

The place names of the administrative districts at the level of county or above or the foreign place names known by the public may not be used as trademarks. However, the place names that have other meanings and those used as part of a collective mark or certification mark are exceptional; the registered trademarks that use place names shall continue to be valid.

Article 11 The following marks may not be registered as trademarks:

1) those only having the generic names, designs and models of the commodities concerned;

2) those simply directly indicating the quality, main raw materials, functions, use, weight, quantity or other characteristics of the commodities concerned; and

3) those lacking distinctive characteristics.

If the marks listed in the preceding paragraph have, through usage, obtained distinctive characteristics and can be easily identified, they may be registered as trademarks.

Article 12 In case of application for trademark registration on 3D marks, the registration shall not be granted if the figures are generated simply by the nature of the commodities, the commodity figures are needed for technical effects or the figures make the commodities become substantially valuable.

Article 13 If a trademark, for which an application for registration is filed, of the same or similar commodity is the copy, imitation or translation of a well-known trademark of others which hasn’t been registered in China, and is likely to cause confusion, it shall not be registered and shall be prohibited from use.

If a trademark, for which an application for registration is filed, of a different or dissimilar commodity is the copy, imitation or translation of a well-known trademark of others which has been registered in China, and misleads the public and leads to possible damage to the interests of the registrant of that well-known trademark, it shall not be registered and shall be prohibited from use.

Article 14 The following factors shall be taken into consideration in the determination of well-known trademarks:

1) how well is that trademark known by the relevant public;

2) the period during which that trademark has been in use;

3) the period, extent and geographic scope of any publicity of that trademark;

4) the record of protection of that trademark as a well-known trademark; and

5) other factors for which that trademark is well-known.

Article 15 If an agent or a representative registers the trademark of the principal or the represented in his/her own name without authorization, the trademark shall not be registered and shall be prohibited from use upon the opposition raised by the principal or the represented.

Article 16 If a trademark contains the geographic mark of the commodities while the commodities don’t come from the region indicated by that mark, and thus misleads the public, the trademark shall not be registered and shall be prohibited from use; however, those that have been registered in good faith shall continue to be valid.

The geographic mark mentioned in the preceding paragraph refers to the mark that indicates the region the commodities come from. And the specific quality, reputation or other characteristics of the said commodities are determined mainly by the natural factors or human cultural factors of that region.

Article 17 Where a foreigner or a foreign enterprise applies for trademark registration in China, the matter shall be handled in accordance with any agreement concluded between the country to which the applicant belongs and the People’s Republic of China, or any international treaty to which both countries are parties, or on the basis of the principle of reciprocity.

Article 18 Where a foreigner or a foreign enterprise applies for trademark registration or deals with other trademark matters in China, it shall entrust an organization certified by the Chinese Government as having the qualification for trademark agency to act on its behalf.

Chapter 2 Application for Trademark Registration

Article 19 An applicant for trademark registration shall report, in accordance with the prescribed classification of commodities, the class of the commodities and the designation of the commodities on which the trademark is to be used.

Article 20 If an applicant intends to apply for the registration of the same trademark on the commodities in different classes, it shall submit separate applications for registration in accordance with the classification of commodities.

Article 21 If a registered trademark needs to be used on other commodities of the same class, a new application for registration shall be filed.

Article 22 If the mark of a registered trademark needs to be changed, a new application for registration shall be filed.

Article 23 If a change needs to be made in the name, address or any other registered matter concerning the registrant of a registered trademark, an application to make the change shall be filed.

Article 24 If an applicant applies for the trademark registration of the same trademark for the commodities of the same class within 6 months from the day on which it filed the application for trademark registration of its trademark in a foreign country, it may enjoy the right of priority in accordance with the agreement concluded between that foreign country and China or the international treaty to which both countries are parties, or according to the principle of mutual acknowledgement of the right of priority.

The applicant that requests the right of priority in accordance with the preceding paragraph shall file a written declaration when filing the application for trademark registration, and shall submit a copy of the documents of application for trademark registration it firstly filed within 3 months; those failing to file the written declaration or failing to submit the copy of the documents of application for trademark registration within the prescribed time limit shall be regarded as having not requested for the right of priority.

Article 25 If a trademark is used for the first time on the commodities displayed at any international exhibition sponsored or acknowledged by the Chinese Government, the applicant for registration of that trademark may enjoy the right of priority for 6 months from the day on which the said commodities are displayed.

The applicant requesting for the right of priority in accordance with the preceding paragraph shall file a written declaration when filing the application for trademark registration, and shall submit the name of the exhibition in which its commodities are displayed, the evidence proving that the said trademark is used on the displayed commodities, the date of exhibition and other certification documents; those failing to file the written declaration or those failing to submit the certification documents within the prescribed time limit shall be regarded as having not requested for the right of priority.

Article 26 The matters reported and the materials provided for the application for trademark registration shall be authentic, accurate and complete.

Chapter 3 Examination and Approval of Trademark Registration

Article 27 When an application has been made to register a trademark that is in conformity with the relevant provisions of this Law, the Trademark Office shall make a preliminary examination and approval of that trademark and shall publicly announce it.

Article 28. If an application has been made to register a trademark that is not in conformity with the relevant provisions of this Law or that is identical with or similar to another person’s trademark which has already been registered or given preliminary examination and approval for use on the same kind of commodities or similar commodities, the Trademark Office shall reject the current application and shall not publicly announce that trademark.

Article 29 If two or more trademark registration applicants apply for registration of identical or similar trademarks for the same kind of commodities or similar commodities, the trademark whose registration was first applied for shall be given preliminary examination and approval and shall be publicly announced; if the applications are filed on the same day, the trademark which was first used shall be given preliminary examination and approval and shall be publicly announced, and the applications of the others shall be rejected and shall not be publicly announced.

Article 30 Any person may file an opposition to a trademark which has been given preliminary examination and approval within three months from the day it was publicly announced. If no opposition is filed after the period of public announcement expires, registration shall be granted, a trademark registration certificate shall be issued and the trademark shall be publicly announced.

Article 31 Anyone applying for trademark registration may not damage the existing rights of others obtained by priority, neither may it register, in advance, the trademark that has been used by others and has become influential.

Article 32 When an application for trademark registration has been rejected and the trademark is not to be publicly announced, the Trademark Office shall notify the trademark registration applicant in writing. If the trademark registration applicant refuses to accept the rejection, it may apply to the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board for a re-examination within 15 days from the day on which the notification is received, and the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board shall make a decision and notify the applicant in writing.

If the a party doesn’t agree with the decision of the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board, it may file an action to the people’s court within 30 days from the day on which the notification is received.

Article 33 If an opposition is filed against a trademark which has been given preliminary examination and approval and has been publicly announced, the Trademark Office shall hear the statements of the facts and reasons made by the opponent and the person against whom the opposition is filed and shall, after investigation and verification, make a ruling. If a party disagrees with the decision, it may apply to the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board for a re-examination within 15 days from the day on which the notification of decision is received, and the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board shall make a ruling and notify, in writing, the opponent and the person against whom the opposition is filed.

If a party doesn’t agree with the ruling of the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board, it may bring a suit before a people’s court within 30 days from the day on which the notification is received. The people’s court shall notify the opposite party to the trademark re-examination proceedings to join in the case as the third party.

Article 34 If neither party has filed an application for re-examination of the ruling made by the Trademark Office or if neither party has brought a suit before the people’s court against the ruling made by the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board within the prescribed period, the ruling shall take effect.

If it is ruled that the opposition can’t stand, the registration shall be granted, a certificate of trademark registration shall be issued and the trademark shall be announced publicly; if it is ruled that the opposition is upheld, no registration shall be granted.

If the registration is granted because it is ruled that the opposition can’t stand, the time that the trademark registration applicant obtains the right to exclusive use of the trademark shall be counted from the day on which the three-month period of preliminary examination and approval announcement expires.

Article 35 The application for trademark registration and the application for trademark re-examination shall be examined promptly.

Article 36 If the trademark registration applicant or the registrant has found that there are obvious mistakes in the trademark application documents or registration documents, it may apply for corrections. The Trademark Office shall, according to law, make corrections within the limits of its powers and shall notify the parties.

The corrections of mistakes referred to in the preceding paragraph shall not involve the substantial contents of the trademark application documents or registration documents.

Chapter 4 Renewal, Assignment and Licensing of Registered Trademarks

Article 37 The period of validity of a registered trademark shall be ten years, counted from the day the registration is approved.

Article 38 If a registrant needs to continue to use the registered trademark after the period of validity expires, an application for renewal of registration shall be made within six months before the expiration. If the registrant fails to make such an application within that period, an extension period of six months may be granted. If no application has been filed before the extension period expires, the registered trademark shall be cancelled.

The period of validity for each renewal of registration shall be ten years.

After a renewal of registration has been approved, it shall be publicly announced.

Article 39 When a registered trademark is to be assigned, the assignor and the assignee shall sign the agreement of assignment, and shall jointly file an application with the Trademark Office. The assignee shall guarantee the quality of the commodities on which the registered trademark is to be used.

After the assignment of a registered trademark has been approved, it shall be publicly announced. The assignee shall be entitled to the right of exclusive use of the trademark from the day of public announcement.

Article 40 A trademark registrant may, by concluding a trademark licensing contract, authorize another person to use its registered trademark. The licensor shall supervise the quality of the commodities on which the licensee uses the licensor’s registered trademark, and the licensee shall guarantee the quality of the commodities on which the registered trademark is to be used.

The one licensed to use the registered trademark of another person must indicate the name of the licensee and the origin of the commodities on the commodities on which that registered trademark is used.

The trademark licensing contract shall be submitted to the Trademark Office for the archivist purpose.

Chapter 5 Determination of Disputes Concerning Registered Marks

Article 41 If a trademark that has been registered violates the provisions of Article 10, Article 11, and Article 12 of this Law, or the registration of the trademark is obtained by deceitful means or other illicit means, the Trademark Office shall cancel that registered trademark; and other units or individuals may request the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board to cancel that registered trademark.

If a trademark that has been registered violates the provisions of Article 13, Article 15, Article 16 and Article 31 of this Law, the owner or the interested persons of the trademark may, within 5 years from the day on which the trademark is registered, request the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board to revoke that registered trademark. And the owner of a well-known trademark shall not be subject to the limit of 5 years to request the revocation of bad-faith registration.

Apart from the circumstances prescribed in the two preceding paragraphs, if there is any dispute over a registered trademark, an application may be filed with the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board for a ruling within 5 years from the day on which that trademark was registered upon approval.

The Trademark Review and Adjudication Board shall notify the parties concerned after receiving the application for ruling and request them to reply within a specified period.

Article 42 If an opposition was filed and a ruling already made prior to the approval of the registration of a trademark, the same facts and reasons may not be used in an another application for a ruling.

Article 43 After the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board has made the ruling of maintaining or revoking a registered trademark in dispute, it shall notify the parties concerned in writing.

If a party refuses to accept the ruling of the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board, it may bring a suit before a people’s court within 30 days from the day the notification is received. The people’s court shall notify the opposite party of the trademark ruling proceedings to join in the case as the third party.

Chapter 6 Administration of the Use of Trademarks

Article 44 In the event of any of the following acts concerning the use of a registered trademark, the Trademark Office shall order rectification of the situation within a specified period or shall revoke the registered trademark:

1) if the registered trademark is altered without authorization;

2) if the registrant’s name, address or any other registered matters concerning the registered trademark is changed without authorization;

3) if the registered trademark is assigned without authorization; and

4) if the registered trademark has not been used for three consecutive years.

Article 45 If a registered trademark is used on crudely manufactured commodities that are passed off as being of high quality, and thus deceives the consumers, the administrative departments for industry and commerce at various levels shall, according to the circumstances, order rectification of the situation within a specified period and may, in addition, circulate a notice on the matter or impose a fine, or the Trademark Office may revoke the registered trademark.

Article 46 If a registered trademark is revoked or is not renewed after its period of validity expires, the Trademark Office shall not approve any application for the registration of a trademark identical with or similar to the said trademark within one year from the day of the revocation or cancellation.

Article 47 In the event of a violation of the provisions of Article 5 of this Law, the local

administrative department for industry and commerce shall order the violator to file an application for registration within a specified period and may, in addition, impose a fine.

Article 48 In the event of any of the following acts concerning the use of an unregistered trademark, the local administrative department for industry and commerce shall stop the use of the trademark, order rectification of the situation within a specified period and may, in addition, circulate a notice on the matter or impose a fine:

1) if the trademark is falsely represented as being a registered one;

2) if the trademark violates the provisions of Article 8 of this Law; or

4) if the trademark is used on crudely manufactured commodities that are passed off as being of high quality, thus deceiving consumers.

Article 49 If a party disagrees with the decision of the Trademark Office to revoke a registered trademark, it may apply for a re-examination within 15 days from the day of receiving the notification of the revocation, and the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board shall make a decision and notify the applicant in writing.

If the party disagrees with the decision of the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board, it may bring a suit before a people’s court within 30 days since the day of receiving the notification.

Article 50 If a party disagrees with the decision of the administrative department for industry and commerce to impose a fine on him according to the provisions of Articles 45, 47 and 48 of this Law, it may bring a suit before a people’s court within 15 days since the day of receiving the notification of the decision. If, at the expiration of such a period, the party has neither brought a suit nor complied with the decision, the relevant administrative department for industry and commerce shall apply to the people’s court for compulsory enforcement of its decision.

Chapter 7 Protection of the Right to Exclusive Use of a Registered Trademark

Article 51 The right to exclusive use of a registered trademark shall be limited to trademarks which have been approved for registration and to commodities on which the use of a trademark has been approved.

Article 52 Any of the following acts shall be an infringement upon the right to exclusive use of a registered trademark:

1) using a trademark which is identical with or similar to the registered trademark on the same kind of commodities or similar commodities without a license from the registrant of that trademark;

2) selling the commodities that infringe upon the right to exclusive use of a registered trademark;

3) forging, manufacturing without authorization the marks of a registered trademark of others, or selling the marks of a registered trademark forged or manufactured without authorization;

4) changing a registered trademark and putting the commodities with the changed trademark into the market without the consent of the registrant of that trademark; and

5) causing other damage to the right to exclusive use of a registered trademark of another person.

Article 53 In the event of any of the acts, listed in Article 52 of this Law, infringing upon the right to exclusive use of a registered trademark, and a dispute arises accordingly, the parties shall negotiate to settle it; if any party refuses to negotiate or the negotiation has failed, the registrant of that trademark or the interested persons may bring a suit before a people’s court, either may they request the administrative department for industry and commerce to handle the matter. If the administrative department for industry and commerce concluded that an infringement is constituted, it may order immediate stop of the infringement, and may confiscate or destroy the infringing commodities and the tools especially used for the manufacturing of infringing commodities and the forging of marks of the registered trademark, and may impose a fine in addition. If a party disagrees with this handling decision, it may bring a suit before a people’s court within 15 days from the day of receiving the notification of handlings according to the Administrative Procedure Law of the People’s Republic of China; if, at the expiration of such a period, the infringer has neither brought a lawsuit nor performed the decision after the period expires, the administrative department may apply to the people’s court for compulsory enforcement of its order.

The administrative department for industry and commerce handling the case may, upon the request of a party, conduct mediation over the amount of compensation for the infringement of the right to exclusive use of the trademark; if the mediation has failed, the party may bring a suit before a people’s court according to the Civil Procedure Law of the People’s Republic of China.

Article 54 The administrative department for industry and commerce shall have the right to investigate into and punish the acts infringing upon the right to exclusive use of a registered trademark; if a crime is suspected to be constituted, the case shall be promptly transferred to the judicial departments for handling according to law.

Article 55 The administrative departments for industry and commerce at the level of county or above may exercise the following powers when investigating into and punishing the acts that are suspected to infringe upon the right to exclusive use of a registered trademark of others based on the evidence for suspicion of illegal acts or the report made by other people:

1) inquiring the parties concerned, investigating the information relating to the infringement of the right to exclusive use of a registered trademark of others;

2) consulting and copying the contracts, vouchers, account books and other relevant materials relating to the infringing activities of the party;

3) conducting on-spot examination of the places where the party is suspected to have committed the acts infringing upon the right to exclusive use of a registered trademark of others; and

4) examining the articles relating to the infringing activities; and may seal up or seize the articles proved by evidence to have infringed upon the right to exclusive use of a registered trademark of others.

The parties shall assist and cooperate with the administrative departments for industry and commerce in exercising the powers prescribed in the preceding paragraph, and may not refuse or impede them.

Article 56 The amount of compensation for infringing upon the right to exclusive use of a trademark shall be the proceeds obtained from the infringement during the period of infringement, or the losses suffered by the infringed due to the infringement during the period of being infringed, including the reasonable expenses paid by the infringed to stop the infringing acts.

If it is difficult to determine the proceeds obtained from the infringement referred to in the preceding paragraph, or it is difficult to determine the losses suffered by the infringed due to the infringement, the people’s court shall determine a compensation of 500,000 Yuan or below according to the circumstances of the infringing acts.

If any person sells the commodities that have, not knowing the facts, infringed upon the right to exclusive right of a trademark and is able to prove that it has obtained those commodities legally and to specify the provider, it shall not bear the liability for compensation.

Article 57 If the registrant of a trademark or an interested person has the evidence to prove that another person is conducting or is going to conduct the acts infringing upon its right to the exclusive use of a registered trademark, and if the acts are not stopped promptly, irreparable damages will occur to its legal rights and interests, it may apply to a people’s court for a order of measures for stopping relevant acts and for attachment.

The provisions of Article 93 to Article 96, and of Article 99 of the Civil Procedure Law of the People’s Republic of China shall be applicable to the handling of the applications mentioned in the preceding paragraph by a people’s court.

Article 58 In order to stop the infringing acts, the registrant of a trademark or the interested person may apply to a people’s court for preservation of evidence before filing the suit under the circumstances that the evidence may get lost or will be hard to acquire afterwards.

The people’s court shall make the ruling within 48 hours after accepting the application; if it is ruled to take the measures for preservation, the ruling shall be executed immediately.

The people’s court may order the applicant to provide security, and shall reject the application if the applicant fails to provide security.

If the applicant hasn’t filed the suit within 15 days after the people’s court took the measures for preservation, the people’s court shall discharge the measures for preservation.

Article 59 Any person who uses on the same kind of commodities the trademark identical with a registered trademark without the permission of the registrant of that trademark and constitutes a crime, in addition to compensating for the losses suffered by the infringed, shall be investigated into for the criminal responsibilities according to law.

Any person who forges or manufactures without authorization the marks of a registered trademark of another person, or sells the marks of a registered trademark forged or manufactured without authorization, in addition to compensating for the losses suffered by the infringed, shall be investigated for the criminal responsibilities according to law.

Any person who knowingly sells the goods using the counterfeited registered trademark and constitutes a crime, in addition to compensating for the losses suffered by the infringed, shall be investigated into for criminal responsibilities according to law.

Article 60 The functionaries of state organs engaged in the registration, administration and review of trademarks must handle the cases justly, be incorruptible and self-disciplined, be devoted to their duties and serve in a courteous and honest way.

The functionaries of the Trademark Office, the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board and the state organs engaged in the registration, administration and review of trademarks may not undertake the activities of trademark agency and commodity production and operation.

Article 61 The administrative departments for industry and commerce shall establish and improve the internal supervision system, and supervise and inspect the enforcement of laws and regulations, and the observance of disciplines of the functionaries of state organs responsible for the registration, administration and review of trademarks.

Article 62 If the functionaries of state organs engaged in the registration, administration and review of trademarks neglect their duties, abuse their powers, practice favoritism, handle the matters of trademark registration, administration and review against the law, accept money and goods from the parties, seek improper profits and constitute crimes, they shall be investigated into for criminal responsibilities according to law; and administrative punishment shall be given if a crime hasn’t been constituted.

Chapter 8 Supplementary Provisions

Article 63 Applicants for trademark registration and the handling of other trademark matters shall pay a fee, the specific standards of which shall be prescribed separately.

Article 64 This Law shall go into effect as of March 1, 1983. On that same day, the Regulations on Trademark Administration promulgated by the State Council on April 10, 1963 shall simultaneously be repealed, and any other provisions concerning trademark administration that conflict with this Law shall be invalidated.