Protection adapted to China
We consider Chinese brand names early and work with local counsel to select the classes and subclasses your products and services need.
China trademark registration
Secure your brand in China before the market moves
China is a filing-sensitive market where timing, subclasses and Chinese-language branding can shape the value of the right. Abrande builds and coordinates the strategy from search to registration.
Free first consultation • Clear scope and costs • No obligation
Before filing with CNIPA
Protect the brand customers, distributors and platforms will actually use
A Latin-character filing alone may leave important gaps. We evaluate timing, Chinese versions, subclasses and commercial control before the application is placed.
01
Filing priority
Has the key mark been secured before launch, sourcing or negotiation?
02
Chinese brand
Should a Chinese-character name be selected and protected alongside the original?
03
Subclass coverage
Does the specification protect the commercially relevant goods and services groups?
04
Ownership chain
Will manufacturing, distribution and licensing sit under the right trademark owner?
Helping brands expand with control
International strategy, locally executed
Protection before exposure
Build the China portfolio before commercial dependencies form
Trademark risk can emerge before the first sale—during manufacturing, distribution, marketplace onboarding or negotiation. We sequence filings around those exposure points.
File at the right moment
Priority and launch timing are planned to reduce avoidable first-filer and squatting risk.
Own the Chinese name
Transliteration, translation and locally adopted names are evaluated as separate protectable assets.
Map classes and subclasses
Coverage is designed around products, services and the subclass structure used in examination.
Connect rights to operations
Manufacturing, e-commerce, licensing and customs priorities inform the portfolio design.
From market plan to registered right
A China filing process built to close practical gaps
We coordinate searches, naming, specifications and local filing so each application has a clear role in the wider portfolio.
-
01
Search the relevant marks
We review Latin and Chinese versions, earlier rights and likely conflicts in the classes and subclasses that matter.
-
02
Design the filing set
We decide which word, logo and Chinese-character marks to file and how to allocate goods and services.
-
03
File and manage examination
Applications are submitted through the appropriate route and monitored through formal and substantive CNIPA examination.
-
04
Navigate publication and registration
Preliminarily approved marks are published for three months. Unopposed applications proceed to registration and publication.
Planning China exposure?
Secure the name before sharing control of the market
Tell us about launch, manufacturing, distributors and Chinese naming. We will identify the filings that should happen first and the gaps that can wait.
Routes to protection in mainland China
Choose a direct CNIPA filing or Madrid designation
Both routes are examined in China. Direct applications often offer local drafting flexibility, while Madrid can streamline a coordinated international portfolio.
Select a route to compare the fit.
National Chinese application
Varies with examination
Best for tailored local coverage
File through an approved Chinese trademark agency with a specification designed for local classification and commercial priorities.
- Local class and subclass strategy
- Separate filings can be planned for Chinese-character marks
- Direct coordination with approved Chinese counsel
- Standalone national registration and renewal
International designation of China
Up to 18 months for refusal
Best for broader international portfolios
Designate China through an international registration administered by WIPO. CNIPA examines the designation under Chinese law.
- Central filing and renewal through WIPO
- Requires an eligible basic mark
- Local classification and refusal issues still require attention
- Does not extend protection to Hong Kong or Macao
Local precision. International perspective.
Protect the brand before China becomes a dependency.
Abrande helps international businesses convert market plans, manufacturing relationships and names into a deliberate trademark position.
Why companies choose Abrande
A coordinated route through a complex trademark market
We combine commercial portfolio advice with trusted local execution, keeping the decisions and risks visible in one relationship.
Local counsel, one point of contact
Approved Chinese agents handle local formalities while Abrande coordinates the wider strategy.
Support after registration
Monitoring, opposition, portfolio recordals and enforcement can remain connected to the filing plan.
Ready to build your trademark position in China?
Share the mark, products, Chinese naming plans and commercial exposure. We will structure the filing priorities.
China trademark registration FAQs
China trademark registration FAQs
Usually, early filing deserves serious consideration. China gives substantial weight to filing priority, and exposure through manufacturers, distributors, fairs or marketplaces can create risk before public launch.
No. A mainland China registration does not protect Hong Kong. Hong Kong operates a separate territorial trademark system and generally requires its own application.
Not every brand needs one, but consumers or partners may create and use a Chinese name. Selecting and protecting a suitable Chinese-character version can preserve control and reduce confusion.
A foreign company without a business domicile in China must generally entrust a trademark agency established under Chinese law for a national filing. Abrande coordinates that local agency relationship.
A preliminarily approved application is published for three months. Eligible parties may oppose during that period; an unopposed application can proceed to registration.
Yes, if the applicant is entitled to use the Madrid System and has an eligible basic mark. CNIPA still examines the designation, and Madrid protection for China does not include Hong Kong or Macao.