Prepare the mark and the proposed owner

Identify the exact mark to be filed, including Chinese characters where relevant. If a logo is part of the brief, provide a clear reproduction. Decide which legal person or individual is intended to own the rights and use consistent names and addresses in the records.

A trading name, website name and registered company name may be different. Explain those differences to the agency before documents are prepared. If a group company, distributor or manufacturer is involved, make the ownership instruction explicit.

Describe the goods and the intended market

Describe products concretely: what they are, what they do, and whether you manufacture, sell, license or provide a service. “Technology”, “beauty” or “e-commerce” alone is rarely a sufficiently detailed brief.

Use the class and similar-group explorer to collect candidate items. The list should be reviewed for current wording and the intended protection scope; an English search result is not a promise of acceptance.

Discuss direct filing and Madrid designation

Direct national filing and international registration designating China are different routes. The appropriate choice depends on the applicant's existing filings, eligibility and wider territorial plan. Ask for the route to be explained against your own facts.

WIPO's Madrid System information is the starting source for international registration. Do not assume that either route removes substantive examination questions in China.

Confirm representation and documents

Ask the agency to confirm the applicable representation requirement for your location and intended filing date. Foreign applicants may need to act through an established trademark agency; use the applicable law rather than an undated blanket statement.

The agency should identify the authority document, identity or incorporation evidence and translations needed for your matter. Do not sign a generic authorization covering unrelated proceedings without understanding its scope.

Distinguish the procedural milestones

Submission, formal acceptance, substantive examination, publication and registration are distinct stages. Requests for correction, objections, opposition or other proceedings can change the path. Obtain a matter-specific timetable rather than treating a headline number of months as a guarantee.

Ask how you will receive filing details, notices and deadlines, and which responses require additional instructions or fees. Keep an accessible record of the mark, goods, owner and agreed scope.

Send a concise first enquiry

Include your brand and candidate Chinese names, goods, applicant's country, any existing filing details and launch date. State what you need next: naming refinement, a scoped search, a classification review or a quotation. You do not need to upload identity documents to use the naming tool.

Prepare your enquiry and review the fee calculation before deciding the scope.

Sources & reference material

Sources checked 24 October 2026. Historical case notes are distinguished from our planning suggestions. Confirm rules and specifications against the intended filing date.