On 19 June, the China National IP Administration’s Trademark Office recently issued a document that reduces costs for most trademark prosecution matters effective from July 1, 2019. SIPS will soon be issuing a revised fixed fee chart for trademark prosecution matters in China.
The most significant reductions are as follows:
- Official fees for renewal applications were reduced from RMB 1,000 (≈US$150) to RMB 500 (≈US$75).
- Official fees for change applications – including applications to change trademark agents or the name or address of a registrant or applicant – are reduced from RMB 250 (≈US$38) to RMB 150 (≈US$23). But official fees for this work are now waived where applications are filed online, i.e., where they are applied for electronically by agents that have agreed to accept electronic delivery of documents. (Our trademark agency, SIPS (Shanghai) Limited, has done so.)
- A 10% discount is applied to the following official fees where the filings are made electronically as opposed to paper filings. See below how this reduction impacts on costs.
| Service Item | Fee Standard for Paper Filing (per Class) |
US$ | Fee Standard for E-filing (per Class) |
US$ |
| Trademark Registration Application | RMB 300 (limited to 10 items).
RMB 30 per additional item. |
$45
$5 |
RMB 270 (limited to 10 items).
RMB 27 per additional item. |
$41
$4 |
| Reissuance of TM Registration Certificate | RMB 500 | $75 | RMB 450 | $68 |
| Assignment Application | RMB 500 | $75 | RMB 450 | $68 |
| Trademark Registration Renewal Application | RMB 500 | $75 | RMB 450 | $68 |
| Grace Period Filing Late Fee for TM Renewal Application | RMB 250 | $38 | RMB 225 | $34 |
Trademark Review and Adjudication Applications
|
RMB 750 | $113 | RMB 675
(e-filing yet to be implemented) |
$101 |
Change Applications
|
RMB 150 | $23 | No Charge | $0 |
| Issuance of Trademark Certification (chopped record) | RMB 50 | $8 | RMB 45 | $7 |
| Collective Mark Registration Application | RMB 1,500 | $225 | RMB 1,350 | $203 |
| Certification Mark Registration Application | RMB 1,500 | $225 | RMB 1,350 | $203 |
| Trademark Opposition | RMB 500 | $75 | RMB 450
(e-filing yet to be implemented) |
$68 |
| Non-use Cancellation | RMB 500 | $75 | RMB 45
(e-filing yet to be implemented) |
$68 |
| Trademark Use License Recordation (per registered mark) | RMB 150 | $23 | RMB 135 | $20 |
SIPS will circulate its updated standard fee schedule for PRC trademark matters to active prosecution clients in due course. The new rates will be implemented in our billing from July 1.
