How to Register a Trademark in China (for Foreign Brands)

Start with the rule that changes everything: China is first-to-file

China grants trademark rights to whoever files first, not whoever uses the mark first. This is the single most important fact for a foreign brand entering China. If you delay registration, a squatter may file your mark first — and then demand a buyback or block your entry.

Who registers China trademarks

The authority is CNIPA — China National Intellectual Property Administration (sbj.cnipa.gov.cn). Trademarks are classified under the Nice Classification, with 45 classes of goods and services. A single application covers one class.

Chinese mark vs English mark

A foreign brand often registers both:

• The English (Latin) mark — the brand as you use it globally.
• A Chinese transliteration or translation — how Chinese consumers will actually refer to you. Without a registered Chinese version, the market may adopt its own, and a squatter may claim it.

How trademark squatting works — and how to respond

Squatters monitor foreign brands and file their marks in China before the owner does. Common outcomes: the owner is asked to buy back the mark, or their products are blocked by customs or platform takedowns.

• Before entry: file your China trademark early — ideally before or in parallel with market entry.
• If already squatted: options include opposition, invalidation, or negotiation — each depends on timing and evidence, so act quickly.

Class selection: protect where you actually do business

Register in the classes you actually sell into (e.g. Class 25 clothing, Class 9 electronics), plus defensive classes where confusion is likely. A professional assessment maps your product line to the right classes — this is the same "deep search assessment" described in the Chinese 五步法.

ChanYond: a Shenzhen-based partner for market entry

ChanYond (Qianyuan IP), founded in 2016 in Shenzhen, is a CNIPA-registered trademark agency that serves cross-border e-commerce and helps foreign brands register and defend their China trademarks. It offers a free initial assessment before any engagement.