China IP ProCHINA IP FIELD NOTES
Briefings for international businesses, creators, law firms and IP agencies—written to clarify filing choices, portfolio risk and the next useful question.
General information only—not legal advice for a specific matter.Latest articles
Preparing a China copyright filing? Identify the work, confirm the ownership chain, and organize six parts of the file. A practical checklist for U.S. brands, creators, and counsel, with clear limits on what registration can establish.
SAMR Order No. 126 took effect June 1, 2026. Review the trade secret definition, confidentiality measures, administrative jurisdiction, and the related criminal-law framework.
China adopted its first comprehensive Trademark Law revision in more than 40 years on June 26, 2026, effective January 1, 2027. The revised law adds dynamic marks, extends well-known mark cross-class protection, fines bad-faith filings up to RMB 100,000, and strengthens non-use cancellation and agency oversight.
China’s revised patent priority examination rules took effect September 1, 2026. Review eligibility, recommendation and filing requirements, processing periods, and the transition for earlier requests.
China’s 2026 IP punitive damages interpretation took effect May 1, 2026. Review intent, serious circumstances, the calculation base, multipliers, prior penalties, and the limits of this general guide.
CNIPA’s March guide is nonbinding policy-interpretation guidance within the existing patent-law framework. U.S. companies can use it as a planning checklist for invention patent applications closely related to standards without assuming that every standards-related filing is standard-essential.
China trademark protection is territorial, and filing strategy involves more than selecting a Nice class. This guide explains seven decisions U.S. companies should make about timing, ownership, mark format, goods and services, search scope, filing route, and post-registration use—plus the 2027 law change now on the horizon.
A DECISION BEHIND THE SEARCH?
We will identify what needs checking before confidential materials are shared and explain a practical next step. An inquiry does not create an engagement.
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