The government’s official fees have been reduced by 50 percent, effective from 1 April.
Law firm Vivien Chan & Co shared the price reductions in an email to customers, stating that the “trademark official fees” are set to be reduced by 50 percent, and giving a full list of the charges to be reduced and their new costs. The first was an “application for registration for up to 10 goods/services (per class), which is now RMB 300 ($50/€46), while the second was “designation of additional goods/services (per good/service), which is now RM30 ($5/€4).
The third is an “application for [a] collective mark”, which is now RMB 1,500 ($250/€234), while the fourth is an “application for record[ing a] trademark assignment”, which is now RMB 500 ($83/€77). Continuing from this was the “application for record[ing a] trademark license”, which is now RMB 150 ($25/€23), and an “application for record[ing a] change of name/address/agent”, now RMB250 ($42/€39), as well as an “application for trademark renewal”, which is now RMB 1,000 ($167/€156).
A “late application for trademark renewal” is now RMB 250 ($42/€39), while an “application for reissuance of registration certificate” is now RMB 500 ($83/€77), and an “application for certified copy of registration certificate” is RMB 50 ($8/€7). The final three charges reduced are an “application for trademark cancellation” and an “application for trademark opposition”, down to RMB 500 ($83/€77) each, and an “application for review with the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board (TRAB), down to RMB 750 ($125/€117).
The firm added that “it is anticipated that the significant reduction in the Chinese trademark official fees will encourage proliferation of trademark applications by trademark squatters in China”, and that “therefore brand owners are advised to also take advantage of the reduced official fees and fortify its defensive filling strategy”.