On 20 January 2019, the Trademark Office of China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) held a conference in Jinan city to brief on its accomplishment related to trademark examination in 2018. As reported, the Cooperation Centre for Trademark Examination (TECC) of CNIPA along with the five examination centres outside Beijing (in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chongqing, Jinan, and Zhengzhou respectively) during the year (as of 15 December 2018) have altogether examined 7.95 million domestic trademark registration applications, completed substantive examination for 96,000 applications for territorial extension of protection under Madrid international trademark registration, and handled 81,000 renewal, assignment or change applications.

 

It was also reported that the average examination pendency for trademark registration applications has been shortened to within 6 months, whereas the examination pendency for change and renewal applications to within 1 month, that for domestic assignment applications to within 4 months, and international assignment applications to within 3 months.

 

The progress in further shortening the examination pendency as mentioned above can be attributed to the implementation of measures nationwide to facilitate the processes from trademark application to registration since July 2016, which included setting up five examination cooperation centers outside Beijing for handling filing, acceptance, examination, and approval of trademark applications as well as issuance of certificates of registration, and the launch of an online trademark service system for one-stop trademark services including delivery of e-certificates of registration.