The comparison of Trademark Law of People’s Republic of China Between the Old and the New Amendment
Date:2019-05-14 Author: Lian & Lien
Trademark Law of People’s Republic of China was amended for the third time at the 4th Session of the | Trademark Law of People’s Republic of China was amended for the fourth time at the thirteenth Session of the Standing Committee of the tenth National People's' Congress on April 23 2019.These amended articles will be implemented by Nov. 1, 2019. |
Chapter I General Provisions | |
Article 4. Any natural person, legal person or other organization, intending to acquire the exclusive right to use a mark for his goods or services in his production and business operations, shall apply for registration of the mark to the Trademark Office. | Article 4. Any natural person, legal person or other organization, intending to acquire the exclusive right to use a mark for his goods or services in his production and business operations, shall apply for registration of the mark to the Trademark Office. Any trademark applications filed not on use purpose but in bad faith shall be refused. Provisions in this Law concerning trademarks used on goods shall apply to service marks. |
Article 19. The trademark agency shall follow the principle of good faith, comply with the provisions of laws and administrative regulations and handle the applications for trademark registrations and other trademark matters according to the instruction of its clients. In respect of the commercial secrets of the clients learned in the procedure of acting on behalf of the clients, the agency shall bear the obligation to keep them confidential. | Article 19. The trademark agency shall follow the principle of good faith, comply with the provisions of laws and administrative regulations and handle the applications for trademark registrations and other trademark matters according to the instruction of its clients. In respect of the commercial secrets of the clients learned in the procedure of acting on behalf of the clients, the agency shall bear the obligation to keep them confidential. |
Chapter III Examination and Acceptance for Registration of a Trademark | |
Article 33. The prior right owner or any interested party may, within three months from the date of publication, files an opposition against an accepted and published application for registration of a trademark, if he finds that the application stands in violation of the provisions of Article 13, paragraph two or three, Article 15, Article 16, paragraph one, Article 30, Article 31 or Article 32 of this law, or any person finds that the application stands in violation with the provisions of Article 10, Article 11, or Article 12 of this law. If no opposition is filed within the specified period, the trademark shall be registered, a certificate of registration shall be issued, and the registration shall be published. | Article 33. The prior right owner or any interested party may, within three months from the date of publication, files an opposition against an accepted and published application for registration of a trademark, if he finds that the application stands in violation of the provisions of Article 13, paragraph two or three, Article 15, Article 16, paragraph one, Article 30, Article 31 or Article 32 of this law, or any person finds that the application stands in violation with the provisions of Article 4, Article 10, Article 11, Article 12 or Article 19 paragraph four of this law. If no opposition is filed within the specified period, the trademark shall be registered, a certificate of registration shall be issued, and the registration shall be published. |
Chapter V Declaration of Invalidation Concerning Registered Trademarks | |
Article 44. Where a registered trademark stands in violation of the provisions of Article 10, 11 or 12 of this Law, or the registration of a trademark has been acquired by fraud or any other unfair means, the Trademark Office shall declare the registered trademark invalid; any other organization or individual may request the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board to declare such a registered trademark invalid. Where the Trademark Office makes a decision to declare a registered trademark invalid, the Trademark Office shall notify the interested party in writing. The party may, if dissatisfying with the decision made by the Trademark Office, apply for a review to the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board within fifteen days from the receipt of the notification. The Trademark Review and Adjudication Board shall make a decision within nine months from the receipt of the request for review and shall notify the party in writing. Where there are special circumstances that require an extension of time, the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board may make the decision in another three months with the approval from the administrative authority for industry and commerce under the State Council. The interested party may, if dissatisfying with the decision of the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board, institute legal proceedings with the people's court within thirty days from receipt of the notification. | Article 44. Where a registered trademark stands in violation of the provisions of Article 4, Article 10, 11, 12 or Article 19 paragraph four of this Law, or the registration of a trademark has been acquired by fraud or any other unfair means, the Trademark Office shall declare the registered trademark invalid; any other organization or individual may request the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board to declare such a registered trademark invalid. Where the Trademark Office makes a decision to declare a registered trademark invalid, the Trademark Office shall notify the interested party in writing. The party may, if dissatisfying with the decision made by the Trademark Office, apply for a review to the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board within fifteen days from the receipt of the notification. The Trademark Review and Adjudication Board shall make a decision within nine months from the receipt of the request for review and shall notify the party in writing. Where there are special circumstances that require an extension of time, the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board may make the decision in another three months with the approval from the administrative authority for industry and commerce under the State Council. The interested party may, if dissatisfying with the decision of the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board, institute legal proceedings with the people's court within thirty days from receipt of the notification. |
Chapter VII Protection of the Exclusive Right to Use a Registered Trademark | |
Article 63. The amount of damage for infringement of the exclusive right to use a registered trademark shall be assessed on the basis of the actual losses suffered by the right holder because of the infringement; where it is difficult to determine the actual losses, the amount may be assessed on the basis of the profits the infringer has earned because of the infringement. Where it is difficult to determine the losses the right holder has suffered or the profits the infringer has earned, the amount may be assessed by reference to the appropriate multiple of the amount of using the registered trademark under a contractual license. Where the infringement of the exclusive right to use a registered trademark is committed in bad faith and the circumstance is serious, the amount of damage shall be more than one time but less than three times of the amount assessed by referring to the above calculation. The amount of the damage shall also include the reasonable expenses of the right holder incurred for stopping the infringing act. When the right holder has tried his best to provide the evidence, but account books and materials relating to the infringement act are mainly under the control of the infringer, to determine the amount of damage, the People’s court may order the infringer to provide the account books, materials relating to the infringement act. Where the infringer refuses to provide or provides false account books and materials, the People’s court may determine the amount of damage by reference to the claim and evidences provided by the right holder. | Article 63. The amount of damage for infringement of the exclusive right to use a registered trademark shall be assessed on the basis of the actual losses suffered by the right holder because of the infringement; where it is difficult to determine the actual losses, the amount may be assessed on the basis of the profits the infringer has earned because of the infringement. Where it is difficult to determine the losses the right holder has suffered or the profits the infringer has earned, the amount may be assessed by reference to the appropriate multiple of the amount of using the registered trademark under a contractual license. Where the infringement of the exclusive right to use a registered trademark is committed in bad faith and the circumstance is serious, the amount of damage shall be more than one time but less than five times of the amount assessed by referring to the above calculation. The amount of the damage shall also include the reasonable expenses of the right holder incurred for stopping the infringing act. When the right holder has tried his best to provide the evidence, but account books and materials relating to the infringement act are mainly under the control of the infringer, to determine the amount of damage, the People’s court may order the infringer to provide the account books, materials relating to the infringement act. Where the infringer refuses to provide or provides false account books and materials, the People’s court may determine the amount of damage by reference to the claim and evidences provided by the right holder.
When the people’s court examining the trademark disputed cases, at the request of the right holder, any goods with the exception of special circumstances, involved in counterfeiting registered trademarks, shall be ordered to be destroyed; any materials and tools used to be made goods involved in counterfeiting registered trademarks shall be ordered to be destroyed without compensation; or under the special circumstance, the materials and tools mentioned above shall be ordered to prohibit from entering into business channels without compensation.
The goods involved in counterfeiting registered trademarks shall not enter into business channels by only removing signs of the registered trademarks. |
Article 68. Where a trademark agency commits any of the following acts, the administrative authority for industry and commerce shall order it to rectify within specified time limit, give a warning, or impose of a fine of more than RMB10,000 yuan but less than 100,000 yuan, and shall give warnings to the executives directly responsible and other staff directly responsible and impose them a fine of more than RMB5,000 yuan but less than RMB50,000 yuan, and if a crime is constituted, a criminal liability shall be investigated according to the provisions of the criminal law: | Article 68. Where a trademark agency commits any of the following acts, the administrative authority for industry and commerce shall order it to rectify within specified time limit, give a warning, or impose of a fine of more than RMB10,000 yuan but less than 100,000 yuan, and shall give warnings to the executives directly responsible and other staff directly responsible and impose them a fine of more than RMB5,000 yuan but less than RMB50,000 yuan, and if a crime is constituted, a criminal liability shall be investigated according to the provisions of the criminal law: Where a trademark agency has an act of representing to file a trademark application in bad faith, the administrative authority for industry and commerce shall give a warning, or impose of an administrative fine according to the circumstances of its act; Where a trademark agency has an act of representing to file trademark litigation in bad faith, the peoples’ court shall impose it on punishment.
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