China trademark registration

China Trademark Registration for European and Swiss SMEs

Protect your brand and your Chinese name in China before someone else files them. Fixed price, plain language, one contact in Switzerland.

Book a conversation

No commitment. We check whether your brand, or a likely Chinese version of it, is already filed in China, and tell you what to do next.

The risk

Why SMEs lose their brand in China

China works on a first-to-file basis: in general, whoever files a valid application first owns the trademark. Your Swiss, EU or national registration does not protect you there.

That is how small European companies discover, often by surprise, that:

someone in China has registered their brand for the exact goods they sell, even though they do not sell in China yet;
their own export shipment is blocked by Chinese customs because another party registered and recorded their mark;
Chinese consumers, distributors or platforms already use a Chinese name for their brand that they do not own.

Recovering a squatted mark is possible, but it takes time, evidence and money. For an SME, prevention costs a fraction of a fight.

Evidence

Our clients

Consumer HealthChina trademark

Recovery of 12 Swiss nutrition trademarks

Client

Swiss nutrition and supplement brand

Challenge

A former Chinese distributor had registered 12 of the brand's trademarks in the name of its own Chinese company.

What we did

Managed negotiation and recovery after the partnership ended
Drove the full transfer process back to the Swiss brand owner
Secured official transfer certificates for each mark

Result

Within 3 months of signing, all 12 trademarks were transferred back to the Swiss brand owner.

Consumer HealthChina trademark

Multi-track recovery for Swiss dermo-cosmetics

Client

Swiss dermo-cosmetic skincare brand

Challenge

A third party held the brand's name in a key class in China.

What we did

Secured new filings in the brand's own name
Opened direct dialogue with the current holder
Initiated formal legal action to reclaim the mark

Result

Multi-track recovery launched within 3 months; procedure under review by the China trademark office.

Our model

Why going direct to China costs less

To file a national trademark at the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), a foreign company without a Chinese office must use a Chinese trademark agency. Many European advisers therefore pass your file to a Chinese agent and add their own fees and hourly billing on top: you pay twice and every email is on the clock.

We work directly with a long-term, trusted Chinese trademark agency partner, and we stay your single point of contact in Switzerland:

Fixed-price packages, agreed in advance. No hourly billing, no surprise invoices for calls.
Plain language in English, French or Chinese. You understand every step.
Local and reachable: based in Pully (Lausanne area), same time zone as you.
Chinese-native brand naming: the part most European advisers cannot do in-house.

For transparency: the official CNIPA online filing fee is RMB 270 per mark and per class (up to 10 goods or services, RMB 27 per extra item). What makes the difference is the work around it.

Scope

What is included

1. China trademark strategy

Which marks to file: your Latin brand name, your Chinese name, and your logo if needed. In China each version is a separate application, so we help you decide what is worth protecting now and what can wait.

2. Chinese brand name creation and check

If you do not have a Chinese name yet, the market will create one for you, and it may not be flattering. We propose Chinese names that sound right, mean something positive and fit your category, then check them for negative meanings and existing filings.

3. Class and subclass selection

China uses the international Nice classes, but splits each class into Chinese subclasses. Filing the class heading does not cover the whole class, and a copier can register your mark in the gaps. We select the goods and subclasses that match your products and your realistic next steps.

4. Clearance search

Before filing, our partner agency searches the CNIPA register for identical and similar marks, including Chinese-character and phonetic equivalents.

5. Filing and follow-up in China

Our partner agency files with CNIPA and handles official correspondence. We translate, explain and keep you updated until registration and the certificate.

6. Watch and protection (optional)

Monitoring of new filings that look like yours, so you can react within the opposition window.

7. If your brand is already taken

We coordinate the recovery strategy with our partner's Chinese trademark attorneys: opposition, invalidation, or non-use cancellation, depending on the case. Legal opinions and representation before CNIPA and the courts are provided by the partner agency.

Process

How it works

01
Free China trademark risk check (30 minutes, online or by phone). We look at your brand, your products and your China plans, and check for existing filings.
02
Fixed-price proposal. One clear quote: what we file, in which classes and subclasses, and the timeline.
03
Chinese name and clearance. Name proposals if needed, then a clearance search on the final marks.
04
Filing in China. Our partner agency files with CNIPA. You receive the filing receipts.
05
Examination and publication. CNIPA's average examination time was about 4 months in 2025. After preliminary approval, the mark is published for opposition (3 months today, 2 months from 1 January 2027).
06
Registration. In a straightforward case, about 7 months from filing to registration (CNIPA 2025 figure). Protection lasts 10 years and is renewable.

Pricing

Packages

Starter package

From CHF 650, fixed price. All-inclusive, official fees included. No hourly billing.

Free China trademark risk check and filing strategy
1 trademark (one name) in 1 class, up to 10 goods or services
Clearance search for the involved marks
Subclass selection
Follow-up and plain-language updates until registration
Each additional class, or each additional name in the same class: + CHF 280 (all-inclusive)

Brand Protection package

Fixed price, quoted after a free consultation. No hourly billing.

Chinese brand name creation (Chinese and pinyin marks)
Multi-class filing strategy
Clearance, filing and follow-up coordinated with our partner agency

Watch service

From CHF 600 per year (one mark, one class).

Trademark squatting response (opposition / invalidation)

Fixed price, quoted after a free consultation. No hourly billing.

Opposition, invalidation or non-use cancellation, run by our partner's Chinese attorneys, coordinated by us.

Beyond the filing

After your trademark: entering the Chinese market

Your trademark is the first step. DRY Consulting also helps European and Swiss brands with China market entry: route to market (cross-border e-commerce or general trade), partner and distributor search, and regulatory coordination for Consumer Health (dermo-cosmetics, food supplements, OTC) and related categories.

See DRY services

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to register a trademark in China?

For context, the official CNIPA online fee is RMB 270 per mark and per class (up to 10 goods or services, plus RMB 27 per extra item). Each version of your brand (Latin, Chinese, logo) is a separate application. Our packages are fixed-price and all-inclusive (official CNIPA fees included): from CHF 650. No hourly billing.

How long does trademark registration take in China?

In 2025 CNIPA reported an average examination time of about 4 months and about 7 months from filing to registration in a straightforward case. Oppositions or refusals add time.

Is my Swiss or EU trademark valid in China?

No. Trademarks are territorial. A Swiss, EUIPO or national mark does not protect you in China; you need a Chinese registration.

Do I need a Chinese trademark agent?

For a direct national filing at CNIPA, a foreign company without a place of business in China must use a Chinese trademark agency. We work with a trusted partner agency, so you do not have to find and manage one yourself.

Should I register a Chinese name for my brand?

In most cases, yes. A Latin-letter registration does not stop someone from registering a Chinese version of your brand. If you do not choose a Chinese name, consumers and distributors will often create one for you.

What are Chinese trademark subclasses?

China divides each Nice class into subclasses and examines similarity by subclass. If your filing misses a subclass, someone else may register the same mark there. Choosing the right goods is as important as choosing the class.

Madrid (international) filing or direct filing in China?

Both are possible. Public guides such as INPI's recommend the direct national route for China: the scope matches Chinese subclasses more precisely and you automatically receive a Chinese registration certificate, which platforms and authorities often ask for. We explain the trade-off for your case during the risk check.

Someone registered my trademark in China. What can I do?

Depending on the status: if the application is still published, file an opposition within the deadline; if it is registered, an invalidation action; if it has not been used for three consecutive years, a non-use cancellation. Buying it back is possible but often expensive. We coordinate the options with our partner's Chinese attorneys after a free first assessment.

Do I need a trademark in China if I only manufacture there?

It is strongly advisable. A third party who registers your mark in China can record it with Chinese customs and block exports of your own goods.

What changes with China's new Trademark Law in 2027?

The revised law takes effect on 1 January 2027. The opposition period drops from 3 to 2 months, bad-faith filers can be fined up to RMB 100,000, and online use is expressly recognised as trademark use. Watching new filings becomes more time-sensitive.

Are you a law firm?

No. DRY Consulting is an independent China market-entry consultancy. We handle strategy, Chinese naming, coordination and communication. Legal opinions and representation before CNIPA are provided by our partner Chinese trademark agency.

Find out in 30 minutes if your brand is safe in China

Free China trademark risk check: we check existing filings for your brand and a likely Chinese version, and you get a clear next step, with a fixed price if you want us to file.

Book a conversation

Delphine Yan, DRY Consulting, Pully, Switzerland. English, French, Chinese.

DRY Consulting is not a law firm. Trademark filings and legal representation in China are handled by our partner Chinese trademark agency. Fees and timelines quoted from CNIPA as of November 2026 and may change.