The trademark dark period is also called the trademark search blank period, trademark blind area, or blind search period. That is to say, when searching for a certain trademark, the trademark information cannot be retrieved in the trademark database, and it is impossible to know whether the trademark has been applied for again or whether there are similar trademarks. It takes a while for a trademark to be applied for trademark registration and entered into the computer database of the Trademark Office. Because China has a large number of trademark applications every day, this period of time will be relatively long. During this period, the trademark is in a submitted but not entered state and cannot be retrieved.

However, the inability to retrieve the trademark information during trademark query does not mean that there has been no application. The first-to-registration principle implemented in trademark registration is actually the first-to-application principle. As long as you apply, you will enjoy the first priority. right. Therefore, even if it is found that there is no similar trademark to your proposed trademark, there is no guarantee whether there is an identical or similar trademark that has been applied for but has not yet been registered. This is one of the reasons why trademark registration is risky.

So how long does the trademark dark period usually last? For now, the 3-6 months after a trademark registration application is submitted belong to the dark period of a trademark, and the specific dark period of each trademark cannot be determined. Once the information is entered and the trademark information can be queried in the database, the blind search period has passed.

Therefore, it is recommended that after a trademark applicant receives the registration application acceptance notice, it will take about 4 to 6 months before conducting a similar search on the Trademark Office website to determine whether the trademark has similar risks.