Dear global entrepreneurs:
When you are passionately brainstorming the perfect name for a new brand, please make sure to include a key factor in your core consideration: whether this name can be successfully registered as a trademark in China?
China, as one of the most dynamic and promising markets in the world, is a strategic location that any brand aspiring to global development cannot ignore. From start-up to becoming a world-class enterprise, the vast Chinese consumer base and thriving market ecosystem are often indispensable boosters.
However, many international brands encounter unexpected obstacles when entering the Chinese market: their carefully selected brand names have already been registered by others in China, or cannot obtain trademark protection due to their specific meanings, pronunciations, or similarities. This not only means high renaming costs and wasted marketing expenses, but may also miss out on market opportunities and even face infringement lawsuits.
As of now, the number of valid trademark registrations in China has reached nearly 50 million, and the difficulty of trademark registration is becoming increasingly high. If you don’t consider this issue during the brand naming stage and register later, the success rate will be lower.
Therefore, we strongly recommend that you:
Prioritize the “registrability of Chinese trademarks”: In the early stages of screening and finalizing brand names, the feasibility of trademark registration for that name in China is used as a mandatory evaluation criterion. Don’t wait until your business is mature or ready to enter China before considering it.
Conduct a professional Chinese trademark search: Utilize a professional Chinese trademark database and consult experienced Chinese intellectual property lawyers to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth search for the registrability of new names. This is not just about checking whether there are identical names, but also evaluating whether there are similar trademarks in pronunciation, meaning, or visual appearance, as well as whether the name itself complies with Chinese trademark law regulations (such as whether it has negative connotations, lacks distinctiveness, etc.).
The market remains unchanged, trademarks come first: as soon as the company is established and the brand name is finalized, priority should be given to initiating the registration application process for Chinese trademarks. The trademark system in China follows the principle of “application first”, which means priority protection is given to the trademark that submits the application first. Submitting the application as early as possible is a crucial step in protecting your brand assets and preventing others from registering. Don’t wait until the market plan is launched before taking action, it may be too late by then.
Neglecting the layout of Chinese trademarks is equivalent to planting significant hidden dangers for your global brand dream. Valuing the registrability of Chinese trademarks from the beginning of brand naming is one of the most important “insurances” for you to smoothly explore this huge market in the future.
Take immediate action to lay a solid legal foundation for your brand in the Chinese market!
