The Procedures for the Substantive Examination of Trademarks were promulgated on 30 July 2015.
The Procedures consists of four parts, which aim to clarify the considerations when the Trademark Bureau conducts substantive examination on trademarks.
These considerations include:
Examination of trademarks in Chinese characters
Examination of trademarks in Chinese Pinyin
Examination of trademarks in foreign languages
Examination of trademarks in numbers
Examination of trademarks in pictures
Examination of trademark application on the same day
Cross search of similar products
Determination of the right date and right status of international registered trademarks
Examination of non-exclusive parts in trademarks
Examination of trademarks of “names of administrative divisions above the county level” and “foreign place names known to the public”
Considerations for trademark denial and partial denial
Correction of errors