How to protect your trademark in China?
How to protect your trademark in China? Foreign companies entering the Chinese market need to familiarize themselves with its complex trademark regime, which both facilitates protections while also imposing certain unique limitations that brands must work around. China’s trademark regime follows a first-to-file system and so does not recognize international trademarks if they are not registered in the mainland. While China accepts the International Classification of Goods and Services under the 1957 Nice Agreement (updated 2019), it further divides these classes into subclasses. Foreign brands should register their trademark in Chinese characters as well to avoid infringement by rogue businesses. This process is complicated and requires a combination of choosing characters with appropriate meaning and relevance, which also conjure an image suitable to the brand. Outline of the Trade Mark Application / Opposition / Appeal Process
