Hong kong trademark registration system
According to the principle of "one country, two systems", the trademark registration system in Hong Kong is an independent system. Even if a trademark is registered in other parts of the world, it will not be automatically protected in Hong Kong. According to the regulations, if the brands of mainland enterprises want to enter the Hong Kong market, they should apply for registered trademarks as soon as possible to avoid the losses and troubles caused by being registered by others. The trademark registration procedure in Hong Kong is carried out in strict accordance with legal procedures. There are time limits and standardized operating procedures from application to registration. During this period, if anyone raises an objection according to the Hong Kong Trade Marks Ordinance and submits conclusive evidence, the application for trademark registration can be rejected. In Hong Kong, according to international practice, as long as the first applicant applies for the use of a trademark and is approved for registration, he can obtain the exclusive right to use the trademark. At the same time, however, according to the Paris Convention for the International Protection of Industrial Property, countries that have joined the Convention or regions that have implemented the Convention enjoy the priority of trademark registration. In this way, if someone applies for the registration of a trademark in Hong Kong first, and the trademark has already been registered in the Mainland, even if the mainland enterprise later applies for the registration of the trademark in Hong Kong, it can enjoy the priority of being registered, but the priority period is only six months. Therefore, mainland enterprises can consider anti-cybersquatting according to the legal procedure of "opposing registration" in Hong Kong's Trademark Ordinance. After accepting the application for trademark registration, the Trademark Registry of the Intellectual Property Department of Hong Kong will publish it in the Hong Kong Intellectual Property Gazette. Anyone can read the relevant details publicly and raise an objection to the trademark registrar within three months. The registry will arrange for both parties who apply for registration and those who object to registration to attend the hearing, and the hearing personnel will make a ruling according to the provisions of the Ordinance. In addition, even if the opponent of a registered trademark fails to raise an objection within the above three-month period, he can raise an objection to the trademark registrar or the court after the trademark registration, and then finally judge the validity of the trademark registration through legal procedures.