Trademark registration is the legal procedure for obtaining the exclusive right to use a trademark. If a natural person, legal person or other organization needs to obtain the exclusive right to use a trademark for its goods or services during production and business activities, it shall apply for trademark registration. A trademark that has been approved for registration is a registered trademark. Trademark registrants enjoy exclusive rights to trademarks and are protected by law. The exclusive right to use a trademark is limited to the approved registered trademark and the approved goods or services. Registered trademarks include commodity trademarks, service trademarks, collective trademarks, and certification marks. Products that require the use of registered trademarks under laws and administrative regulations must apply for trademark registration. Products without approved registration may not be sold in the market.

Registration process:

Trademark inquiry (within 2 days) Application document preparation (within 3 days) Application submission (within 2 days) Payment of trademark registration fees Trademark formal review (1 month) Issuance Trademark acceptance notice, trademark substantive examination (12 months), trademark announcement (3 months), and issuance of a trademark certificate. (The new Trademark Law was implemented on May 1, 2014, and the substantive review period for trademarks is 9 months.)

Trademark registration is the prerequisite and condition for trademark users to obtain exclusive rights to trademarks. Only trademarks that have been approved for registration are subject to Legal protection. The principles of trademark registration are the basic criteria for determining the exclusive right to use trademarks. The choice of different registration principles is the result of the legislators of various countries weighing the relationship between legal certainty and legal fairness in this issue.