Foreign companies are still struggling to have their well-known trademarks recognized in China using administrative procedures, a new report says. On May 27, 2011, The State Administration for Industry & Commerce (SAIC) of the People’s Republic of China published the 2010 list of well-known Trademarks Recognized Through Administrative Procedures.

 

According to an update from the Chinese law firm Wan Hui Da, 396 trademarks were recognized administratively as well-known trademarks, but only 11 of these were owned by foreign companies. The recognition rate of less than 3% highlights the continuing difficulties foreign companies face when trying to use administrative procedures to recognize well-known trademarks in China.

 

Although overall recognition rates remain extremely low, Wan Hu Da pointed out that the recognition rate of foreign-owned trademarks in trademark opposition reviews and disputes has actually risen slightly from 9.8% in April 2009 to 12% in 2010. Chinese authorities are also making efforts to regulate and tighten the recognition of well-known trademarks through judicial procedures, and the SAIC is in the process of revising the Provisions on the Recognition and Protection of Wellknown Trademarks.

 

 

 

Well-known Trademarks Recognized through Administrative Procedures

Authority	Case Type	Total Number	Number Owned by Foreign Companies	Recognition Rate
China Trademark Office	Trademark Enforcement Cases	289	0	0%
China Trademark Office	Trademark Opposition Cases	24	1	4.2%
Trademark Review & Adjudication Board	Opposition Reviews & Trademark Disputes	83	10	12%
Total		396	11	2.8%