Hello! The Trademark Law does not mandate that all trademarks must be registered before they can be used. Only trademarks for pharmaceuticals and tobacco products must be successfully registered before they can be used.

Trademarks can be used without filing an application or registering, but they are not protected by trademark law.

The trademark registration procedure is:

1. First search for the trademark. If there is no identical or similar one before, you can prepare application documents and submit the application;

2. About one month after the application is submitted, the Trademark Office will issue you an application acceptance notice (this period is called the formal review stage).

2. After the formal review is completed, it will enter the substantive review stage. This stage will take about 2 to 2 and a half years.

3. If the substantive examination is passed, the announcement process will be entered (this period is 3 months, also called the objection period);

4. After the announcement period expires, no one raises objections . You can get the registration certificate.

After applying for trademark registration, you can usually get the "Notice of Acceptance" from the National Trademark Office within one month, and then you can mark it with "TM" and use it. It will take about a year and a half to get the trademark registration certificate, and then you can mark it with "R" or "note" and use it. It has a 10-year exclusive right. After the 10-year expiration, it can be renewed and continued to be used. Of course, the "TM" trademark can be used regardless of whether it is registered or not, and the "R" can only be affixed after the trademark has obtained the registration certificate.

If more information is provided, a more detailed legal opinion can be given.