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Register Your Trademark in China

China awards the mark to whoever files first, not to whoever used the brand first. We file directly with CNIPA from our Shenzhen office, so there is no agent standing between you and the register.

Full sub-class strategy included, not just a basic filing

Chinese-character name registered alongside your mark

No Chinese company or local address required

Transparent pricing

$66.38

per class

All-inclusive: CNIPA official fee plus our attorney fee. No hidden extras.

Clearance search before filing

Sub-class strategy

Chinese name filing

Prosecution to certificate

Reply within 24 hours from Shenzhen

CNIPA Code 44804

Licensed filing agency

INTA & AIPPI

Verified memberships

5,000+ Clients

Across 40+ countries

Since December 2013

Shenzhen HQ + 5 offices

Why it matters

Using your brand for 20 years means nothing here

China operates a strict first-to-file trademark system. Whoever submits the application first owns the mark, regardless of who created the brand or how long it has traded elsewhere. There is no common-law protection to fall back on.

Professional trademark squatters monitor overseas companies preparing to enter China — trade fair listings, supplier contracts, press announcements — and register those brands first. Recovering a squatted mark means an opposition or invalidation action that can take two to three years.

The only reliable protection is filing early: before you announce China plans, appoint a manufacturer, or exhibit at a trade fair.

1st

To file, not to use — owns the mark in China

10 yr

Term per registration, renewable indefinitely

5–15

Sub-classes inside every Nice class

Specialised IP courts: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hainan

Is this you?

This Page Is for You If Any of These Apply

You're entering the China market

Launching, selling, or listing on Tmall, JD or Amazon China. Secure the mark before you announce anything publicly.

You manufacture in China

Your supplier, factory or sourcing agent knows your brand name — the most common route to a squatted trademark.

Someone already filed your brand

We handle opposition, invalidation and non-use cancellation — send us the application number and we’ll tell you which applies.

Two things cheap filings get wrong

China-Specific Gaps Generic Filers Miss

Both leave gaps a competitor can walk straight into, and neither shows up until it’s too late.

China only

The sub-class gap

China splits every Nice class into 5–15 sub-classes. Your registration only covers the ones you filed in — file Class 25 for outerwear and footwear, and Class 2509 stays open inside the class you think you own.

2501

Outer

2502

Under

2507

Shoes

2508

Hats

2509

Open

China only

The Chinese name

Chinese consumers won’t use your Latin name — they’ll invent one by sound or meaning. If you haven’t registered it, a competitor can. We file all three versions together.

可口可乐

Coca-Cola

宝马

BMW

耐克

Nike

Filing routes

Direct CNIPA Filing vs Madrid vs Low-Cost Agents

Three ways to reach the Chinese trademark register. They are not equivalent — here is exactly what differs.

Factor

Precise IP — Direct CNIPA

Madrid System (WIPO)

Low-cost online agent

Sub-class selection

✓ Full control, strategy included

✗ Standard Nice mapping only

~ Usually default sub-classes

Chinese name filing

✓ Filed simultaneously

✗ Requires separate filing

~ Extra charge if offered

Office action response

✓ Immediate, in-house

✗ Must appoint local agent

~ Often billed separately

Speed to registration

✓ Fastest, no WIPO transit

~ Slower via international routing

~ Depends on agent workload

Licensed Chinese attorney

✓ CNIPA Agency Code 44804

~ Only if refusal occurs

✗ Often unlicensed resellers

Best used for

China-focused entry, high-value marks

Broad multi-country filing programmes

Low-stakes defensive filings

Filing in several markets at once? Madrid works well alongside a direct China filing — ask us which combination fits.

How it works

Four Steps, 9–12 Months to Certificate

Free check

Send your brand name and what you sell. We search the CNIPA register and tell you honestly whether it’s registrable.

24 hours

Strategy & filing

We map your sub-classes, develop your Chinese name, prepare the Power of Attorney and file directly with CNIPA.

2–3 days

Examination

CNIPA reviews formalities, then distinctiveness and prior rights. We handle any office action within deadline.

6–10 months

Certificate

Published for opposition, then your certificate issues. Protection runs ten years — we track the renewal for you.

3 months

Pricing

One Flat Fee, Published Openly

China trademark registration

$66.38

per class · all-inclusive

CNIPA official filing fee

Attorney fee

Clearance search & risk view

Sub-class selection strategy

Chinese name development & filing

Power of Attorney preparation

Status updates at every stage

Renewal deadline tracked 10 years

Office action responses and opposition work are quoted separately, case by case. Additional classes: confirm rate.

Want to know if your name is still open?

Send it over — we’ll check the register free.

Credentials You Can Verify

Judge any China IP firm on its agency registration and its memberships, not on a marketing claim.

5,000+

Clients across 40+ countries

7 registries

Certificates on file

Since 2013

Shenzhen HQ + 5 offices

44804

CNIPA Agency Code

Licensed to File at CNIPA

Foreign applicants cannot file directly with China’s IP administration: it must go through a licensed agency. Verify on CNIPA’s agent register.

AIPPI

Chinese Group · Cert. 2024002

AIPPI Chinese Group

2024 collective member, issued to Guangdong Precise Intellectual Property Agency Co Ltd.

INTA

Member

INTA Member

Listed as Precise Intellectual Property LLC in the INTA member directory.

Universities, hospitals and state-owned enterprises trust us with their marks

China Trademark Registration FAQs

Do we need a Chinese company to register?

No. You do not need a subsidiary, office or address in China. Foreign applicants file through a licensed Chinese agency — our CNIPA code is 44804 — using a Power of Attorney you sign in your own country. Your rights are identical to a domestic Chinese applicant's.

How long does it take?

Typically 9–12 months from filing to certificate. Formal examination takes 1–2 months, substantive examination 5–8 months, then a 3-month publication window. From 1 January 2027 that publication window shortens to 2 months under China's revised Trademark Law.

What if someone has already registered our brand?

It depends how far their application has progressed. Still in the publication window, we file an opposition. Already registered, we file an invalidation, or a non-use cancellation if the mark has sat unused for three years. Send us the application number and we will tell you which applies and what it realistically costs.

Why not just use the Madrid System?

Madrid is efficient when filing across many countries at once. For China specifically, direct CNIPA filing is stronger: you get sub-class control, you can file Chinese-character versions at the same time, and we can answer office actions immediately without appointing a local agent mid-process. Many clients do both — China direct, everything else via Madrid.

What happens if CNIPA refuses it?

We file a refusal review, usually arguing distinctiveness or distinguishing the cited earlier mark. Many refusals are partial and can be narrowed rather than fought. Review work is quoted separately, and we tell you plainly when a mark isn't worth pursuing rather than billing you to chase it.

Who will actually handle our file?

A qualified attorney from our Shenzhen office, and you deal with them directly, not an account manager relaying messages.

Question not answered here?

Ask us directly. We reply within 24 hours.

Find Out If Your Brand Is Still Available

Send your brand name and what you sell. We check the CNIPA register and come back within one business day with a straight answer on availability, the sub-classes you need, and the total cost.

Free availability check, no obligation

Reply within 24 hours from Shenzhen

Speak directly with the attorney on your file

Licensed CNIPA agency — Code 44804

Get a Free Availability Check

Confidential. No obligation.

Sending this does not create a solicitor–client relationship.

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