Trademarks in China : A few basics facts before diving in

2011-01-01

TRADEMARKSINCHINA:AFEWBASICFACTSBEFOREDIVINGIN

B
OBH.SOTIRIADIS&MANONMOREAU*
ROBIC,
LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENTANDTRADE-MARKSAGENTS

WeknowthatChinaisaneconomythatisincreasinglyimportantintheworld,thatits
grossdomesticproductisgrowinglikenootherandthatitisoneofthemost
importantmarketsforCanadianexports.Wealsoknowtowhatextentithasbecome
famousforcounterfeiting.Theimportanceofsecuringyourtrademarkhastherefore
becomeessentialnowadays.
InChina,unlessatrademarkiswell-known,thefirstpersontofileanapplicationfora
registrationacquiresrightsinatrademark.Itmaythereforebeadvisabletolookinto
theissueoftrademarksbeforedevelopingyourmarketinChina.Thisway,youmay
beabletoavoidspendingunnecessarilyforexportingyourproductsandreducethe
riskofconflictswiththeownerofanearlier-filedtrademark.

ChineseVersionsoftheTrademark
Undernormalpractice,localcustomersandlocalbusinessesmightadopttheirown
Chineseversionofyourbrand.Thiscanhavealong-termnegativeeffectonthe
valueofyourtrademark.Itisthereforerecommendedthat,fromtheoutset,youadopt
andregisteryourselfaChineseversionofyourtrademark.Inanidealworld,itwould
beadvisabletoconsidertheregistrationoftwoChineseversionsofyourtrademarks,
thatisa)atranslationofthetrademarkifithasacertainmeaningandb)atranslated
versionofthepronunciationofthetrademark.
UndertakingaPriorSearch
Ittakesanaverageoftwoandahalfyearsbetweenthefilingofanapplicationfor
registrationandtheissuanceofacertificateofregistrationinChinaanditisnot
possibletoexpeditetheregistrationprocess.Apriorsearchisrecommended.Bearin
mindthatasimilartrademarkthatisfiledbeforeyoursinthesameclasswillpreclude
theregistrationofyourtrademark,eveniftheproductsorserviceswithinthesame
classaredifferent.Forexample,class25includesclothing.Ifyouwishtoregister
yourtrademarkforbridalgownsandathirdpartyhasfiledanapplicationtoregistera

©CIPS,2011.
*WithROBIC,LLPamultidisciplinaryfirmofLawyers,andPatentandTrade-markAgents.Published
intheWinter2011Newsletterofthefirm(Vol.14,No.4).Publication068.130E.

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similartrademarkforsportsclothingbeforeyou,itishighlylikelythatyouwillnot
obtainyourregistrationandthiswouldbeamajorobstacletothedevelopmentof
yourbusiness!
HongKong,MacaoandTaiwan
TheterritoriesofHongKong,MacaoandTaiwanaredistinctintermsofregistration.
Provisionsshouldthereforebemadefortheregistrationofyourtrademarksoneach
oftheseterritoriesbecausetheyarenotencompassedbythestepstakenforChina.

SixMonthPriority
ItisalwaysusefultorecalltheexistenceoftheParisConvention,aninternational
agreementthatallowstheownerofanationaltrademarktofileabroad(inamember
stateoftheConvention,suchasChina)withinsixmonthsofthenationalfilingby
benefitingfromtheprioritydateofthisnationaldepository.

UseoftheTrademarkafterRegistration
ItisalsoimportanttoensurethattheregisteredtrademarkisbeingusedinChina
becauseitcouldbestruckofftheregisterifithasnotbeenusedforthreeyears.

Conclusion
Asinmanycases,preventionisthebetterandcheaperoption.Thelawyersand
trademarkagentsatROBICcanadviseyouaccordinglysothatyoucanavoid
obstaclesrelatedtoyourtrademarksabroad,andspecificallyinChina.

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trademarkagentsdedicatedsince1892totheprotectionandthevalorizationofallfieldsofintellectual
property:patents,industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;trademarks,certificationmarksandindications
oforigin;copyrightandentertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,neighbouringrights;computer,
softwareandintegratedcircuits;biotechnologies,pharmaceuticalsandplantbreeders;tradesecrets,
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