China · Registration guide

Trademark registration in China

Prepare a mainland China filing around the names you will use, the goods you actually sell and the route that fits your wider plans.

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Prepared by Trademarkora · Official sources checked 7 September 2026

The short answer

What should you know before filing in China?

China generally gives priority to the earlier application, while protecting relevant earlier rights. CNIPA examines the mark before preliminary publication; the current opposition period is three months from that publication. An accepted application is not yet a registration. [1]

Foreign applicants and the correct filing owner

A foreign company without a business domicile in China must use a lawfully established trademark agency for the domestic route. A representative office does not count as that domicile. CNIPA separately allows a foreign individual habitually resident in China to apply directly with the prescribed residence evidence. Confirm the applicant's status before choosing the filing route. [2]

Rule update to know

Rules checked on 7 September 2026. The revised Trademark Law adopted on 26 June 2026 takes effect on 1 January 2027. This guide describes the presently applicable procedure. Recheck the new law and transitional arrangements before relying on a deadline around its commencement. [6]

Does my registration abroad already cover mainland China?

Do not treat a registration in another country as a China registration. Check whether you have a China national registration or protection for China through the Madrid route, and what mark and goods it covers. Bring the existing application or registration details for review.

Compare China filing routes · WIPO: countries you designate

What should I prepare before manufacturing in China?

Bring the names and logos planned for goods or packaging, the proposed owner, the products and intended markets. Keep supplier arrangements and any existing records or notices with your questions. Export-only plans should not be treated as a trademark clearance conclusion.

Use the China filing preparation checklist. Supplier contracts and trademark applications need separate consideration: read the manufacturing and NNN guide. For an existing dispute or deadline, request the relevant separate service assessment.

Three decisions before a China application

Turn your launch plan into a short filing brief before comparing routes.

Filing choices for China: situation, decision and practical implications
Your situation	What to decide	Why it matters
You will use more than an English name	Review each proposed name and logo	Provide the actual versions you want assessed, including any Chinese-character name. The mark and specified goods together determine the protection sought; a later change to the registered sign requires another application. [1]
Your products sit within one broad Nice class	Check the specific items and similar groups	China adapts Nice Classification through its own classification table and similar groups. A class number is not a substitute for the goods or services. The table is a reference for similarity, not an automatic decision in every dispute. [3]
The same brand is heading to several markets	Compare direct filing with an eligible Madrid designation	An international application requires an eligible connection to a Madrid member and a basic application or registration. Compare the intended territories and item wording before selecting a route; one international filing is not worldwide protection. [5]

On a small screen, scroll the comparison horizontally. Numbered references open the official source.

A useful preparation example

For a planned consumer-product launch, bring the proposed English name, any Chinese name, the logo and a plain-language product list. Mark which versions are ready and which remain tentative. Ask the reviewer to identify the decisions still needed rather than submitting a broad industry label. If you have searched already, keep the relevant records and unresolved questions with this brief. The free preliminary professional check helps you decide the next filing step before purchasing services; you can also request it without searching first.

How to search the CNIPA trademark database →Read China trademark search results →China classes and similar groups →Preparing a Chinese brand name →Direct CNIPA filing or Madrid →

Prepare for a useful review

Prepare a brief that separates names, products and an existing conflict

Use the real commercial plan to frame the review. A class number or an identical-name search cannot stand in for a complete protection scope.

List the English name, proposed Chinese characters and pinyin separately; mark which versions will appear on packaging or storefronts.
Describe each product by its function and intended buyer. Preserve the specific product list for the existing China similar-group review.
If you already have an official notice or suspect a distributor filing, keep that issue separate from a new-application brief.

Planning example — not a client case

Hypothetical example: a coffee business sells packaged beans and runs a café. Give the reviewer both activities and both language versions. If a former distributor appears in a record, retain its number and dates for the existing dispute path; do not assume a new filing resolves ownership.

Editorial preparation guidance added 9 September 2026. Individual requirements and any legal conclusion need professional review.

Before you decide to pay

Turn your China questions into a filing plan

Tell us the proposed mark, target countries and what you sell. A preliminary professional check considers the proposed filing scope and relevant concerns, then gives a human recommendation, up to three main reasons and a next step.

No payment is required to request the check. Search and class suggestions are optional. You decide whether to proceed after the result and confirmation of the application scope.

Start a free professional check See an example of the check

Peter Lin and the team coordinate preparation; the responsible professional and scope are identified for the work. The free check is not a full legal opinion, repeated alternative-name search or dispute assessment, and does not guarantee registration.

How much does trademark registration in China cost?

For the agreed mark, applicant, classes and filing route, the published all-in package covers the normal process through initial registration, including standard professional work and government application and registration fees, when there is no office action, refusal or opposition. Responses to objections or disputes, changes to the agreed scope and post-registration maintenance are quoted separately.

Published all-in filing prices

1 class: $599
2 classes: $898
3 classes: $1,197
4+ classes: Exact Quote

One trademark, one applicant, standard direct electronic filing; standard government filing fee included; country-specific standard item limits apply.

Review current pricing and scope →

Standard package

Application preparation, goods and services wording, filing-quality review, approved electronic filing and standard completion through initial registration, within the agreed scope.

Separate when needed

Non-standard official fees, translations, notarisation, objections, opposition and later maintenance are outside the standard scope unless expressly included.

Settle the goods and services before relying on a headline price. The classification guidance makes their scope central to the application. Review the displayed quote for that scope, and ask separately about any further response or dispute work; this guide does not replace a written quotation. [3]

From application to registration

1
Prepare the scope
Use the classification table in force when filing. Standard items and acceptable non-standard descriptions are possible; unfamiliar goods need clear, accurate wording in simplified Chinese, rather than vague descriptions. [3]
2
File and undergo examination
CNIPA reviews compliance and earlier conflicting marks. Filing priority matters, but does not permit taking another party's existing rights or improperly appropriating a previously used, influential mark. [1]
3
Publication, opposition and registration
Preliminary publication opens the current three-month opposition period. If no opposition is filed, registration follows. A contested application requires its own procedural assessment. [1]

Our service planning reference is 6–8 months for a straightforward application. This is not an official average or a deadline commitment. Document preparation, examination, objections or opposition can change the total time.

Prepare your application

This is our service-preparation checklist, confirmed 6 September 2026. It is separate from the official eligibility and procedural rules linked in this guide; requirements depend on the applicant and filing route.

Documents & details

Trademark details, including the applicant’s name and address, the mark, and the goods or services.
A scan of the business licence or personal ID.
Signed and stamped power of attorney.
Individual applicants: provide a scan of the individual business licence.
Provide a mark image for both word and design marks.
Stamp the business licence scan.

Planning & records

Filing acknowledgement estimate: 3–5 working days
Certificate format: Electronic certificate

A filing acknowledgement is not a registration. Confirm the final checklist and schedule before approving a filing.

Direct application or Madrid?

Direct application

The domestic route goes to CNIPA, with a trademark agency handling an overseas company's application where required. Select the correct legal owner rather than assuming its Chinese representative office is the owner. [2]

International & neighbouring markets

China can be designated through Madrid. Protection obtained for China through that system does not cover Hong Kong or Macao, so include those territories separately in your planning. [4]

The published filing prices on this page describe the standard direct application scope. A different route, additional territory or unusual requirement needs its own scope confirmation.

Compare countries and registration routes →

Keeping the registration in force

Registration lasts ten years from approval. Renewal may be requested during the preceding twelve months; a six-month grace period is available. Each renewal lasts ten years. [1]

Three consecutive years of non-use without proper reason can expose a registration to cancellation. Keep dated evidence of genuine commercial use rather than treating renewal as the only maintenance task. [1]

Trademarkora also offers monthly email updates on exact-name trademark records in mainland China, after the team confirms your watch. Your first exact name is free per customer; additional names are paid under the pricing and prepayment terms on the monitoring page. The service reports newly found matching records and visible changes to earlier results; similar names, logos, legal conclusions and official deadline management are not included.

Explore China monitoring and pricing →

Keep the owner’s details, actual use records and renewal dates organised. A dispute or official notice needs its own review; it is not included automatically in a standard filing.

Learn from public China trademark cases

Explore ownership, Chinese names, product scope and manufacturing through independent case studies. These are not Trademarkora client results.

China Trademark Case Studies →

Sources & editorial notes

Prepared by Trademarkora. Official sources checked on 7 September 2026. Numbered links beside a rule open its supporting source.

Package prices come from Trademarkora’s current pricing release. Operational checklists and planning estimates come from our confirmed application reference, not official processing statistics. Where a current official timing indication is shown, it is separately labelled and linked.

Know your next step before you commit

Tell us the mark, your target country or region and what you sell. The free preliminary professional check helps decide whether to proceed, modify the plan or stop. You decide whether to purchase filing services after the review.

Start free check for China

No payment or government filing at this step.