- China’s Trademark Law has been fully revised for the first time since 1983, adopted on 26 June 2026 (Presidential Order No. 77) and effective 1 January 2027.
中国《商标法》自1983年施行以来首次全面修订，于2026年6月26日修订通过（主席令第七十七号），自2027年1月1日起施行。- The statute grows from 8 chapters / 73 articles to 9 chapters / 87 articles, with a new dedicated chapter on registration conditions.
法律体例由原8章73条扩为9章87条，新增专章集中规定商标注册条件。- Dynamic marks and their combinations are newly registrable, and internet-based use now counts as trademark use.
可注册要素新增动态标志及其组合，通过互联网等信息网络实施的使用行为明确属于商标的使用。- Foreign applicants with no domicile or business presence in China must file through a duly established trademark agent.
在中国没有经常居所或营业所的外国人、外国企业，申请商标注册和办理其他商标事宜应当委托依法设立的商标代理机构。- Bad-faith filing is pushed forward in the enforcement chain: a warning plus a fine up to RMB 100,000 for malicious applications causing adverse impact.
恶意申请惩戒关口前移：存在恶意申请注册行为造成不良影响的，由负责商标执法的部门给予警告，可以并处10万元以下罚款。- Core timelines are codified: 9-month examination, 2-month opposition, 9+3-month review, 10-year term, 12-month renewal window plus 6-month grace.
关键时限入法：审查9个月、异议期2个月、复审9个月可延长3个月、有效期10年、续展期12个月并设6个月宽展期。- Foreign brand owners should audit portfolios, tighten agent and distributor contracts, and plan refilings before the 1 January 2027 transition.
外资品牌方应审计商标组合、收紧代理与经销商合同条款，并在2027年1月1日过渡前规划重新布局与补充申请。
China’s fully revised Trademark Law (effective 1 January 2027): what foreign brand owners should do now | 中国《商标法》首次全面修订（2027年1月1日施行）：外资品牌方现在应当做什么
Overview: A Once-in-a-Generation Rewrite
For any foreign enterprise building or defending a brand in China, the Trademark Law is the backbone statute. On 26 June 2026, the 23rd Session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress adopted a comprehensive revision by Presidential Order No. 77, effective 1 January 2027. The law was first enacted in 1983; the four prior changes (1993, 2001, 2013, 2019) were partial corrections. The 2026 revision is the first full revision in over four decades, expanding from 8 chapters / 73 articles to 9 chapters / 87 articles and adding a dedicated chapter on registration conditions.
The Legal Basis and the Three Significances
The operative instrument is the Trademark Law of the PRC (2026 Revision), revised and adopted on 26 June 2026, promulgated by Presidential Order No. 77, effective 1 January 2027. The NPC frames the revision around three points: implementing the Party and state IP strategy; answering real-world pathologies — bad-faith filing, hoarding of idle marks, improper use, weak penalties, over-enforcement, agency disorder; and systematising more than forty years of practice.
A New Structure: From 8/73 to 9/87
The statute moves from 8 chapters / 73 articles to 9 chapters / 87 articles. A new Chapter II, “Conditions for Trademark Registration,” consolidates absolute grounds, relative prior rights, distinctiveness and functionality exclusions into one chapter, separating substantive conditions from examination procedure. Institutional language is unified: “Trademark Office” and “Trademark Review and Adjudication Board” become the single “trademark administrative department of the State Council” (the CNIPA system); “administrative departments for industry and commerce” become “departments responsible for trademark enforcement.”
New Registrable Subject Matter and the Internet “Use” Rule
To keep pace with digital dissemination, the revision adds dynamic marks and their combinations as registrable subject matter. The functionality bar remains: a sign consisting solely of a shape, colour combination, sound or dynamic effect dictated by the nature of goods, needed for a technical effect, or giving substantial value shall not be registered (Article 18). Article 2 clarifies that use through the internet or other information networks is “use of a trademark” — grounding online presence on e-commerce and social platforms as genuine use for defence, non-use cancellation and opposition.
Good Faith, Foreign Agents and Madrid
Article 9 makes the good-faith principle explicit: filing and use shall not abuse rights to the detriment of national interest, public interest or others’ lawful rights. Article 11 requires foreigners or foreign enterprises with no habitual residence or business premises in China to entrust a duly established trademark agency for filing and other matters. Article 12 routes international registration through the Madrid system under China’s treaties, with rules set by the State Council. Choose agents carefully and define their mandate in writing.
Bad Faith, Well-Known Marks and Squatting
Article 19 refuses registration of applications not intended for use and clearly exceeding normal needs, and bars fraud or other improper means. The penalty gateway moves forward: malicious filing causing adverse impact draws a warning and a fine up to RMB 100,000 from the enforcement department. Article 21 refines well-known mark protection and shifts “recognising” to “confirming” a mark as well known, closer to international rules. Articles 22 and 24 target agent, representative and relationship-based squatting — opposable only if the owner proves prior use and the relationship. Article 25 bars agencies from registering any mark other than for their own services.
Multi-Class, Priority and Codified Timelines
Article 26 allows a single application covering multiple classes. Article 29 grants a 6-month foreign priority (written declaration plus copy within 3 months); Article 30 adds a 6-month exhibition priority. Core clocks are now statutory:
| Stage | Period |
|---|---|
| Examination of an application | 9 months (Art. 32) |
| Opposition period | 2 months (Art. 36) |
| Refusal review | 9 months, +3 months (Art. 37) |
| Opposition decision | 12 months, +6 months (Art. 38) |
| Registration term | 10 years (Art. 43) |
| Renewal | 12 months before expiry; 6-month grace (Art. 44) |
New Absolute Grounds and Division of Duties
Article 15 bars marks identical or similar to the name, flag, emblem or medals of the Communist Party of China, or to landmark elements of its theoretical achievements or historical events. Article 16 bars county-level or higher place names and public foreign place names (except other meaning or collective/certification marks; existing registrations survive). The trademark department of the State Council (CNIPA) handles nationwide registration; local trademark-administration and enforcement departments (market-supervision system) act locally, with statutory information sharing and coordination.
Implementation and the Transition Window
The revised statute takes effect 1 January 2027, but the enforcement machinery is being built now. The national IP administration is advancing the supporting revision of the Trademark Law Implementing Regulations to detail standards and procedure, updating the Trademark Examination and Adjudication Guidelines, and studying old-new law transitional rules covering applicable law during the switchover and filing conditions for dynamic marks. Foreign owners should treat the window before 1 January 2027 as the low-friction period to clean up portfolios, fix agent mandates and pre-file marks that may face the new absolute grounds.
What Foreign Brand Owners Should Do Now
- Audit the portfolio against new grounds (political, geographic, functional) before 1 January 2027.
- Confirm agent appointments in writing; the agent cannot register your marks for itself (Art. 11, 25).
- Tighten distributor and partner contracts with evidence clauses proving prior use and the relationship (Art. 22, 24).
- Calendar priority and renewal clocks; remind 12 months before expiry to avoid grace risk.
- Plan multi-class and dynamic-mark filings where distinctive (Art. 26, dynamic marks).
- Sequence Madrid and direct filings to preserve the 6-month priority.
- Expect two-track enforcement through both IP-administration and market-supervision systems.
Related Reading
Foreign-brand registration workflow and the dedicated anti-squatting playbook are covered in separate articles on this site; this piece is the revision briefing plus the action list.
中国《商标法》首次全面修订（2027年1月1日施行）：外资品牌方现在应当做什么
概览：一代人一次的系统性重写
对任何在中国创建或守护品牌的外国企业，《商标法》是基础性法律。2026年6月26日，第十四届全国人大常委会第二十三次会议以主席令第七十七号修订通过，自2027年1月1日起施行。该法1983年首次施行，此前四次变动（1993、2001、2013、2019）均为局部修正；2026年修订是四十多年来首次全面修订，文本由8章73条扩至9章87条，新增专章规定注册条件。
法律依据与三大意义
现行依据是《中华人民共和国商标法（2026年修订）》，2026年6月26日修订通过，主席令第七十七号公布，自2027年1月1日施行。全国人大将修订归纳为三点：贯彻党和国家知识产权战略；回应恶意申请、囤积闲置、不当使用、惩戒不足、过度维权、代理失序等现实病症；系统总结四十多年实践经验。
新结构：从8章73条到9章87条
法律由8章73条增至9章87条，新增”第二章 商标注册的条件”，将绝对禁止事由、相对在先权益、显著特征与功能性排除集中成章，使实体条件与审查程序分离。机构称谓统一：原”商标局””商标评审委员会”统称”国务院商标管理部门”（即国家知识产权局/CNIPA体系）；原”工商行政管理部门”改为”负责商标执法的部门”。
新增要素与互联网”使用”规则
为顺应数字化传播，修订新增”动态标志及其组合”作为可注册要素。功能性门槛保留：仅由商品性质决定、为技术效果所必需或使商品具实质性价值的形状、颜色组合、声音、动态效果，不得注册（第18条）。第2条明确，通过互联网等信息网络实施的使用属于商标的使用——使电商平台、社交媒体上的线上 presence 可作为抗辩、对抗三年不使用撤销及异议中的真实使用依据。
诚信、外国代理与马德里
第9条使诚信原则显性化：申请与使用不得滥用权利损害国家利益、公共利益或他人合法权益。第11条要求在中国没有经常居所或营业所的外国人、外国企业，应当委托依法设立的商标代理机构办理申请及其他事宜。第12条依我国缔结或参加的国际条约（马德里体系）办理商标国际注册，具体办法由国务院规定。应审慎选择代理机构并以书面界定权限。
恶意申请、驰名商标与抢注
第19条对不以使用为目的且明显超出正常需要、或以欺骗等不正当手段的申请不予注册。处罚关口前移：恶意申请注册造成不良影响的，由负责商标执法的部门给予警告，可以并处10万元以下罚款。第21条细化驰名商标保护，将”认定”调整为”确认”，更贴近国际规则。第22条、第24条针对代理人、代表人及关系型抢注——以自己名义抢注或明知在先使用仍抢注的，异议后不予注册，但前提是企业证明在先使用及关系。第25条禁止代理机构注册自身服务以外的商标。
多类申请、优先权与入法时限
第26条允许一份申请覆盖多个类别。第29条给予自外国首次申请起6个月优先权（须书面声明并于3个月内提交副本）；第30条新增展会优先权6个月。关键时限现已入法：
| 阶段 | 期限 |
|---|---|
| 申请实质审查 | 9个月（第32条） |
| 异议期 | 2个月（第36条） |
| 驳回复审 | 9个月，可延长3个月（第37条） |
| 异议审查 | 12个月，可延长6个月（第38条） |
| 注册有效期 | 10年（第43条） |
| 续展 | 期满前12个月；宽展6个月（第44条） |
新增绝对禁注与职责分工
第15条禁止同中国共产党名称、党旗、党徽、勋章或重要理论成就、历史事件相关标志性要素相同近似的标志。第16条禁止县级以上行政区划名称及公众知晓的外国地名（有其他含义或作为集体/证明商标组成部分除外；已注册继续有效）。国务院商标管理部门（CNIPA）负责全国注册管理；地方商标管理与执法部门（市场监管体系）属地执法，并负法定信息共享与协调义务。
配套实施与过渡窗口
修订后法律自2027年1月1日施行，但执法机制正在当下搭建。国家知识产权体系正推进《商标法实施条例》配套修改以细化标准与程序，更新《商标审查审理指南》，并研究涵盖切换期法律适用与动态标志申请条件的旧法新法衔接规则。外国品牌方应将2027年1月1日前视为低摩擦窗口，清理组合、补正代理授权，并对可能触及新绝对禁注事由的商标提前申请。
外资品牌方现在应当做什么
- 按新禁注事由审计组合（政治、地理、功能性），在2027年1月1日前完成。
- 书面确认代理委托；代理机构不得自注你的商标（第11、25条）。
- 收紧经销商与伙伴合同，植入证明在先使用及关系的证据条款（第22、24条）。
- 对优先权与续展排期；期满前12个月提醒，规避宽展风险。
- 规划多类与动态标志申请（第26条及动态标志），在具显著性处布局。
- 安排马德里与直接申请次序，保全6个月优先权。
- 预期双线执法，知识产权行政与市场监管两线均可行动。
延伸阅读
外国品牌商标注册流程与恶意抢注专文攻略本站另有专文；本文为修订简报加行动清单。
Sources