Date: May 3, 2016

China Trademark Office (CTMO) has recently introduced the following seven new measures to facilitate trademark applicants’registration process:

1. Compile and publish “Trademark Registration Application FAQ Guidebook” on official website, to answer frequently asked questions in the process of trademark application and to address the issues that concern trademark applicants most.

2. Cancel notarization requirement on certain certifying documents, such as documents required for trademark applications involving portraits or celebrities names, applications for assignment and removal, and applications for correction of foreign name and address, in an effort to reduce the burden on trademark applicants and shorten the processing time.

3. Specify the contents of Notification of Amendment, such as adding explanatory or instructive content, to give better guidance to trademark applicants in making pertinent and precise amendment.

4. Accept the same set of evidence used for multiple oppositions filed within the same month, provided the complete set of evidence has been submitted in the first filed opposition, and the other cases share the whole set (not part) of the evidence. The case number of the opposition containing the whole set of evidence (the preliminary approval number of the opposed mark or the official filing number of the opposition) shall be indicated prominently.

5. Expand the scope of combined examination of trademark oppositions, to those between the same parties, against identical marks, sharing the same set of evidence, or cross-oppositions between two parties, or per application by the interested party based on other reasons that are accepted by the Trademark Office after consideration.

6. Launch expedited examination passage for applications concerning post registration procedures such as modification, assignment or renewal, in case of urgent or critical situations. Applicants may submit written request and corresponding evidences for CTMO to consider and approve.

7. Optimize user experience of the official website, by perfecting menu setting, timely updating information, improving website stability, improving trademark searching function and adding procedure information such as “mail received / returned” for applicants to track processing status.

The above measures shall be implemented from the date of announcement. (Source: CTMO)