Trademark Law of the People’s
Republic of China
(Adopted at the 24th Session of the Standing Committee
of the Fifth National People’s Congress on 23 August 1982;
revised for the first time according to the Decision on
the Amendment of the Trademark Law of the People’s Republic
of China adopted at the 30th Session of the Standing Committee
of the Seventh National People’s Congress, on 22 February
1993; and revised for the second time according to the Decision
on the Amendment of the Trademark Law of the People’s Republic
of China adopted at the 24th Session of the Standing Committee
of the Ninth National People’s Congress on 27 October 2001)
Chapter I. General Provisions
Article 1. This Law is enacted for the purposes of improving
the administration of trademarks, protecting the exclusive
right to use trademarks, and of encouraging producers and
operators to guarantee the quality of their goods and services
and maintaining the reputation of their trademarks, with
a view to protecting the interests of consumers, producers
and operators and to promoting the development of the socialist
market economy.
Article 2. The Trademark Office of the administrative authority
for industry and commerce under the State Council shall
be responsible for the registration and administration of
trademarks throughout the country.
The Trademark Review and Adjudication Board, established
under the administrative authority for industry and commerce
under the State Council, shall be responsible for handling
matters of trademark disputes.
Article 3. Registered trademarks mean trademarks that have
been approved and registered by the Trademark Office, including
trademarks, service marks, collective marks and certification
marks; the trademark registrants shall enjoy the exclusive
right to use the trademarks, and be protected by law.
Said collective marks mean sings which are registered in
the name of bodies, associations or other organizations
to be used by the members thereof in their commercial activities
to indicate their membership of the organizations.
Said certification marks mean signs which are controlled
by organizations capable of supervising some goods or services
and used by entities or individual persons outside the organization
for their goods or services to certify the origin, material,
mode of manufacture, quality or other characteristics of
the goods or services.
Regulations for the particular matters of registration
and administration of collective and certification marks
shall be established by the administrative authority for
industry and commerce under the State Council.
Article 4. Any natural person, legal entity or other organization
intending to acquire the exclusive right to use a trademark
for the goods produced, manufactured, processed, selected
or marketed by it or him, shall file an application for
the registration of the trademark with the Trademark Office.
Any natural person, legal entity or other organization
intending to acquire the exclusive right to use a service
mark for the service provided by it or him, shall file an
application for the registration of the service mark with
the Trademark Office.
The provisions set forth in this Law concerning trademarks
shall apply to service marks.
Article 5. Two or more natural persons, legal entities
or other organizations may jointly file an application for
the registration for the same trademark with the Trademark
Office, and jointly enjoy and exercise the exclusive right
to use the trademark.
Article 6. As for any of such goods, as prescribed by the
State, that must bear a registered trademark, a trademark
registration must be applied for. Where no trademark registration
has been granted, such goods cannot be marketed.
Article 7. Any user of a trademark shall be responsible
for the quality of the goods in respect of which the trademark
is used. The administrative authorities for industry and
commerce at different levels shall, through the administration
of trademarks, stop any practice that deceives consumers.
Article 8. In respect of any visual sign capable of distinguishing
the goods or service of one natural person, legal entity
or any other organization from that of others, including
any word, design, letters of an alphabet, numerals, three-dimensional
symbol, combinations of colors, and their combination, an
application may be filed for registration.
Article 9. Any trademark in respect of which an application
for registration is filed shall be so distinctive as to
be distinguishable, and shall not conflict with any prior
right acquired by another person.
A trademark registrant has the right to use the words of
"registered trademark" or a symbol to indicate
that his trademark is registered.
Article 10. The following signs shall not be used as trademarks:
(1) those identical with or similar to the State name,
national flag, national emblem, military flag, or decorations,
of the People’s Republic of China, with names of the places
where the Central and State organs are located, or with
the names and designs of landmark buildings;
(2) those identical with or similar to the State names,
national flags, national emblems or military flags of foreign
countries, except that the foreign state government agrees
otherwise on the use;
(3) those identical with or similar to the names, flags
or emblems or names, of international intergovernmental
organizations, except that the organizations agree otherwise
on the use or that it is not easy for the use to mislead
the public;
(4) those identical with or similar to official signs and
hallmarks, showing official control or warranty by them,
except that the use thereof is otherwise authorized;
(5) those identical with or similar to the symbols, or names,
of the Red Cross or the Red Crescent;
(6) those having the nature of discrimination against any
nationality;
(7) those having the nature of exaggeration and fraud in
advertising goods; and
(8) those detrimental to socialist morals or customs, or
having other unhealthy influences.
The geographical names as the administrative divisions at
or above the county level and the foreign geographical names
well known to the public shall not be used as trademarks,
but such geographical terms as have otherwise meanings or
are a part of collective marks/or a certification marks
shall be exclusive. Where a trademark using any of the above-mentioned
geographical names has been approved and registered, it
shall continue to be valid.
Article 11. The following signs shall not be registered
as trademarks:
(1) those only comprising generic names, designs or models
of the goods in respect of which the trademarks are used;
(2) those having direct reference to the quality, main raw
materials, function, use, weight, quantity or other features
of the goods in respect of which the trademarks are used;
and
(3) those lacking distinctive features.
The signs under the preceding paragraphs may be registered
as trademarks where they have acquired the distinctive features
through use and become readily identifiable.
Article 12. Where an application is filed for registration
of a three-dimensional sign as a trademark, any shape derived
from the goods itself, required for obtaining the technical
effect, or giving the goods substantive value, shall not
be registered.
Article 13. Where a trademark in respect of which the application
for registration is filed for use for identical or similar
goods is a reproduction, imitation or translation of another
person’s trademark not registered in China and likely to
cause confusion, it shall be rejected for registration and
prohibited from use.
Where a trademark in respect of which the application for
registration is filed for use for non-identical or dissimilar
goods is a reproduction, imitation or translation of the
well-known mark of another person that has been registered
in China, misleads the public and is likely to create prejudice
to the interests of the well-known mark registrant, it shall
be rejected for registration and prohibited from use.
Article 14. Account shall be taken of the following factors
in establishment of a well-known mark:
(1) reputation of the mark to the relevant public;
(2) time for continued use of the mark;
(3) consecutive time, extent and geographical area of advertisement
of the mark;
(4) records of protection of the mark as a well-known mark;
and
(5) any other factors relevant to the reputation of the
mark.
Article 15. Where any agent or representative registers,
in its or his own name, the trademark of a person for whom
it or he acts as the agent or representative without authorization
therefrom, and the latter raises opposition, the trademark
shall be rejected for registration and prohibited from use.
Article 16. Where a trademark contains a geographic indication
of the goods in respect of which the trademark is used,
the goods is not from the region indicated therein and it
misleads the public, it shall be rejected for registration
and prohibited from use; however, any trademark that has
been registered in good faith shall remain valid.
The geographic indications mentioned in the preceding paragraph
refer to the signs that signify the place of origin of the
goods in respect of which the signs are used, their specific
quality, reputation or other features as mainly decided
by the natural or cultural factors of the regions.
Article 17. Any foreign person or foreign enterprise intending
to apply for the registration of a trademark in China shall
file an application in accordance with any agreement concluded
between the People’s Republic of China and the country to
which the applicant belongs, or according to the international
treaty to which both countries are parties, or on the basis
of the principles of reciprocity.
Article 18. Any foreign person or foreign enterprise intending
to apply for the registration of a trademark or for any
other matters concerning a trademark in China shall appoint
any of such organizations as designated by the State to
act as its or his agent.
Chapter II. Application for Trademark Registration
Article 19. An applicant for the registration of a trademark
shall, in a form, indicate, in accordance with the prescribed
classification of goods, the class of the goods and the
designation of the goods in respect of which the trademark
is to be used.
Article 20. Where any applicant for registration of a trademark
intends to use the same trademark for goods in different
classes, an application for registration shall be filed
in respect of each class of the prescribed classification
of goods.
Article 21. Where a registered trademark is to be used
in respect of other goods of the same class, a new application
for registration shall be filed.
Article 22. Where the sign of a registered trademark is
to be altered, a new registration shall be applied for.
Article 23. Where, after the registration of a trademark,
the name, address or other registered matters concerning
the registrant change, an application regarding the change
shall be filed.
Article 24. Any applicant for the registration of a trademark
who files an application for registration of the same trademark
for identical goods in China within six months from the
date of filing the first application for the trademark registration
overseas may enjoy the right of priority in accordance with
any agreement concluded between the People’s Republic of
China and the country to which the applicant belongs, or
according to the international treaty to which both countries
are parties, or on the basis of the principle whereby each
acknowledges the right of priority of the other.
Anyone claiming the right of priority according to the
preceding paragraph shall make a statement in writing when
it or he files the application for the trademark registration,
and submit, within three months, a copy of the application
documents it or he first filed for the registration of the
trademark; where the applicant fails to make the claim in
writing or submit the copy of the application documents
within the time limit, the claim shall be deemed not to
have been made for the right of priority.
Article 25. Where a trademark is first used for goods in
an international exhibition sponsored or recognized by the
Chinese Government, the applicant for the registration of
the trademark may enjoy the right of priority within six
months from the date of exhibition of the goods.
Anyone claiming the right of priority according to the
preceding paragraph shall make a claim in writing when it
or he files the application for the registration of the
trademark, and submit, within three months, documents showing
the title of the exhibition in which its or his goods was
displayed, proof that the trademark was used for the goods
exhibited, and the date of exhibition; where the claim is
not made in writing, or the proof documents not submitted
within the time limit, the claim shall be deemed not to
have been made for the right of priority.
Article 26. The matters reported and materials submitted
in the application for trademark registration shall be true,
accurate and complete.
Chapter III. Examination for and Approval of Trademark Registration
Article 27. Where a trademark the registration of which
has been applied for is in conformity with the relevant
provisions of this Law, the Trademark Office shall, after
examination, preliminarily approve the trademark and publish
it.
Article 28. Where a trademark the registration of which
has been applied for is not in conformity with the relevant
provisions of this Law, or it is identical with or similar
to the trademark of another person that has, in respect
of the same or similar goods, been registered or, after
examination, preliminarily approved, the Trademark Office
shall refuse the application and shall not publish the said
trademark.
Article 29. Where two or more applicants apply for the
registration of identical or similar trademarks for the
same or similar goods, the preliminary approval, after examination,
and the publication shall be made for the trademark which
was first filed. Where applications are filed on the same
day, the preliminary approval, after examination, and the
publication shall be made for the trademark which was the
earliest used, and the applications of the others shall
be refused and their trademarks shall not be published.
Article 30. Any person may, within three months from the
date of the publication, file an opposition against the
trademark that has, after examination, been preliminarily
approved. If no opposition has been filed after the expiration
of the time limit from the publication, the registration
shall be approved, a certificate of trademark registration
shall be issued and the trademark shall be published.
Article 31. An application for the registration of a trademark
shall not create any prejudice to the prior right of another
person, nor unfair means be used to pre-emotively register
the trademark of some reputation another person has used.
Article 32. Where the application for registration of a
trademark is refused and no publication of the trademark
is made, the Trademark Office shall notify the applicant
of the same in writing. Where the applicant is dissatisfied,
he may, within fifteen days from receipt of the notice,
file an application with the Trademark Review and Adjudication
Board for a review. The Trademark Review and Adjudication
Board shall make a decision and notify the applicant in
writing.
Any interested party who is not satisfied with the decision
made by the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board may,
within thirty days from receipt of the notice, institute
legal proceedings in the People’s Court.
Article 33. Where an opposition is filed against the trademark
that has, after examination, been preliminarily approved
and published, the Trademark Office shall hear both the
opponent and applicant state facts and grounds, and shall,
after investigation and verification, make a decision. Where
any party is dissatisfied, it or he may, within fifteen
days from receipt of the notification, apply for a reexamination,
and the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board shall make
a decision and notify both the opponent and applicant in
writing.
Any interested party who is not satisfied with the decision
made by the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board within
thirty days from the date of receipt of the notice, may
institute legal proceedings in the People’s Court. The People’s
Court shall notify the other party to the trademark reexamination
proceeding to be a third party to the litigation.
Article 34. Where the interested party does not, within
the statutory time limit, apply for the reexamination of
the adjudication by the Trademark Office or does not institute
legal proceedings in respect of the adjudication by the
Trademark Review and Adjudication Board, the adjudication
takes effect.
Where the opposition cannot be established upon adjudication,
the registration shall be approved, a certificate of trademark
registration shall be issued and the trademark shall be
published; where the opposition is established upon adjudication,
the registration shall not be approved.
Where the opposition cannot be established upon adjudication,
but the registration is approved, the time of the exclusive
right the trademark registration applicant has obtained
to use the trademark is counted from the date on which the
three months expires from the publication of the preliminary
examination.
Article 35. Any application for trademark registration
and trademark reexamination shall be examined in due course.
Article 36. Where any trademark registration applicant
or registrant finds any obvious errors in the trademark
registration documents or application documents, it or he
may apply for correction thereof. The Trademark Office shall
ex officio make the correction according to law and notify
the interested party of the correction.
The error correction mentioned in the preceding paragraph
shall not relate to the substance of the trademark registration
documents or application documents.
Article 37. The period of validity of a registered trademark
shall be ten years, counted from the date of approval of
the registration.
Chapter IV. Renewal, Assignment and Licensing of Registered
Trademarks
Article 38. Where the registrant intends to continue to
use the registered trademark beyond the expiration of the
period of validity, an application for renewal of the registration
shall be made within six months before the said expiration.
Where no application therefore has been filed within the
said period, a grace period of six months may be allowed.
If no application has been filed at the expiration of the
grace period, the registered trademark shall be cancelled.
The period of validity of each renewal of registration
shall be ten years.
Any renewal of registration shall be published after it
has been approved.
Article 39. Where a registered trademark is assigned, the
assignor and assignee shall conclude a contract for the
assignment, and jointly file an application with the Trademark
Office. The assignee shall guarantee the quality of the
goods in respect of which the registered trademark is used.
The assignment of a registered trademark shall be published
after it has been approved, and the assignee enjoys the
exclusive right to use the trademark from the date of publication.
Article 40. Any trademark registrant may, by signing a
trademark license contract, authorize other persons to use
his registered trademark. The licensor shall supervise the
quality of the goods in respect of which the licensee uses
his registered trademark, and the licensee shall guarantee
the quality of the goods in respect of which the registered
trademark is used.
Where any party is authorized to use a registered trademark
of another person, the name of the licensee and the origin
of the goods must be indicated on the goods that bear the
registered trademark.
The trademark license contract shall be submitted to the
Trademark Office for record.
Chapter V. Adjudication of Disputes Concerning Registered
Trademarks
Article 41. Where a registered trademark stands in violation
of the provisions of Articles 10, 11 and 12 of this Law,
or the registration of a trademark was acquired by fraud
or any other unfair means, the Trademark Office shall cancel
the registered trademark in question; and any other organisation
or individual may request the Trademark Review and Adjudication
Board to make an adjudication to cancel such a registered
trademark.
Where a registered trademark stands in violation of the
provisions of Articles 13, 15, 16 and 31 of this Law, any
other trademark owner concerned or interested party may,
within five years from the date of the registration of the
trademark, file a request with the Trademark Review and
Adjudication Board for adjudication to cancel the registered
trademark. Where a well-known mark is registered in bad
faith, the genuine owner thereof shall not be restricted
by the five-year limitation.
In addition to those cases as provided for in the preceding
two paragraphs, any person disputing a registered trademark
may, within five years from the date of approval of the
trademark registration, apply to the Trademark Review and
Adjudication Board for adjudication.
The Trademark Review and Adjudication Board shall, after
receipt of the application for adjudication, notify the
interested parties and request them to respond with arguments
within a specified period.
Article 42. Where a trademark, before its being approved
for registration, has been the object of opposition and
decision, no application for adjudication may be filed based
on the same facts and grounds.
Article 43. After the Trademark Review and Adjudication
Board has made an adjudication either to maintain or to
cancel a registered trademark, it shall notify the interested
parties of the same in writing.
Any interested party who is dissatisfied with the adjudication
made by the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board may,
within thirty days from the date of receipt of the notice,
institute legal proceedings in the People’s Court. The People’s
Court shall notify the other party of the trademark adjudication
proceeding to be a third party to the legal proceedings.
Chapter VI. Administration of the Use of Trademarks
Article 44. Where any person who uses a registered trademark
has committed any of the following, the Trademark Office
shall order him to rectify the situation within a specified
period or even cancel the registered trademark:
(1) where a registered trademark is altered unilaterally
(that is, without the required registration);
(2) where the name, address or other registered matters
concerning the registrant of a registered trademark are
changed unilaterally (that is, without the required application);
(3) where the registered trademark is assigned unilaterally
(that is, without the required approval); or
(4) where the use of the registered trademark has ceased
for three consecutive years.
Article 45. Where a registered trademark is used in respect
of the goods that have been roughly or poorly manufactured,
or whose superior quality has been replaced by inferior
quality, so that consumers are deceived, the administrative
authorities for industry and commerce at different levels
shall, according to the circumstances, order rectification
of the situation within a specified period, and may, in
addition, circulate a notice of criticism or impose a fine,
and the Trademark Office may even cancel the registered
trademark.
Article 46. Where a registered trademark has been cancelled
or has not been renewed at the expiration, the Trademark
Office shall, during one year from the date of the cancellation
or removal thereof, approve no application for the registration
of a trademark that is identical with or similar to the
said trademark.
Article 47. Where any person violates the provisions of
Article 6 of this Law, the local administrative authority
for industry and commerce shall order him to file an application
for the registration within a specified period, and may,
in addition, impose a fine.
Article 48. Where any person who uses an unregistered trademark
has committed any of the following, the local administrative
authority for industry and commerce shall stop the use of
the trademark, order him to rectify the situation within
a specified period, and may, in addition, circulate a notice
of criticism or impose a fine:
(1) where the trademark is falsely represented as registered;
(2) where any provision of Article 10 of this Law is violated;
or
(3) where the manufacture is of rough or poor quality, or
where superior quality is replaced by inferior quality,
so that consumers are deceived.
Article 49. Any party dissatisfied with the decision of
the Trademark Office to cancel a registered trademark may,
within fifteen days from receipt of the corresponding notice,
apply for a review. The Trademark Review and Adjudication
Board shall make a decision and notify the applicant in
writing.
Any interested party dissatisfied with the decision by
the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board may, within
thirty days from the date of receipt of the notice, institute
legal proceedings in the People’s Court.
Article 50. Any party dissatisfied with the decision of
the administrative authority for industry and commerce to
impose a fine under the provisions of Article 45, Article
47 or Article 48 may, within fifteen days from receipt of
the corresponding notice, institute legal proceedings with
the People’s Court. If there have been instituted no legal
proceedings or made no performance of the decision at the
expiration of the said period, the administrative authority
for industry and commerce may request the People’s Court
for compulsory execution thereof.
Chapter VII. Protection of the Exclusive Rights to Use Registered
Trademarks
Article 51. The exclusive right to use a registered trademark
is limited to the trademark which has been approved for
registration and to the goods in respect of which the use
of the trademark has been approved.
Article 52. Any of the following acts shall be an infringement
of the exclusive right to use a registered trademark:
(1) to use a trademark that is identical with or similar
to a registered trademark in respect of the identical or
similar goods without the authorization from the trademark
registrant;
(2) to sell goods that he knows bear a counterfeited registered
trademark;
(3) to counterfeit, or to make, without authorization, representations
of a registered trademark of another person, or to sell
such representations of a registered trademark as were counterfeited,
or made without authorization;
(4) to replace, without the consent of the trademark registrant,
its or his registered trademark and market again the goods
bearing the replaced trademark; or
(5) to cause, in other respects, prejudice to the exclusive
right of another person to use a registered trademark.
Article 53. Where any party has committed any of such acts
to infringe the exclusive right to use a registered trademark
as provided for in Article 52 of this Law and has caused
a dispute, the interested parties shall resolve the dispute
through consolation; where they are reluctant to resolve
the matter through consolation or the consultation fails,
the trademark registrant or interested party may institute
legal proceedings in the People’s Court or request the administrative
authority for industry and commerce for actions. Where it
is established that the infringing act is constituted in
its handling the matter, the administrative authority for
industry and commerce handling the matter shall order the
infringer to immediately stop the infringing act, confiscate
and destroy the infringing goods and tools specially used
for the manufacture of the infringing goods and for counterfeiting
the representations of the registered trademark, and impose
a fine. Where any interested party is dissatisfied with
decision on handling the matter, it or he may, within fifteen
days from the date of receipt of the notice, institute legal
proceedings in the People’s Court according to the Administrative
Procedure Law of the People’s Republic of China. If there
have been instituted no legal proceedings or made on performance
of the decision at the expiration of the said period, the
administrative authority for industry and commerce shall
request the People’s Court for compulsory execution thereof.
The administrative authority for industry and commerce handling
the matter may, upon the request of the interested party,
medicate on the amount of compensation for the infringement
of the exclusive right to use the trademark; where the medication
fails, the interested party may institute legal proceedings
in the People’s Court according to the Civil Procedure Law
of the People’s Republic of China.
Article 54. The administrative authority for industry and
commerce has the power to investigate and handle any act
of infringement of the exclusive right to use a registered
trademark according to law; where the case is so serious
as to constitute a crime, it shall be transferred to the
judicial authority for handling.
Article 55. When investigating and handling an act suspected
of infringement of a registered trademark, the administrative
authority for industry and commerce at or above the county
level may, according to the obtained evidence of the suspected
violation of law or informed offence, exercise the following
functions and authorities:
(1) to inquire of the interested parties involved, and
to investigate the relevant events of the infringement of
the exclusive right to use the trademark;
(2) to read and make copy of the contract, receipts, account
books and other relevant materials of the interested parties
relating to the infringement;
(3) to inspect the site where the interested party committed
the alleged infringement of the exclusive right to use the
trademark; and
(4) to inspect any articles relevant to the infringement;
any articles that prove to have been used for the infringement
of another person’s exclusive right to use the trademark
may be sealed up or seized.
When the administrative authority for industry and commerce
exercises the preceding functions and authorities, the interested
party shall cooperate and help, and shall not refuse to
do so or stand in the way.
Article 56. The amount of damages shall be the profit that
the infringer has earned because of the infringement in
the period of the infringement or the injury that the infringee
has suffered from the infringement in the period of the
infringement, including the appropriate expenses of the
infringee for stopping the infringement.
Where it is difficult to determine the profit that the
infringer has earned because of the infringement in the
period of the infringement or the injury that the infringee
has suffered from the infringement in the period of the
infringement, the People’s Court shall impose an amount
of damages of no more than RMB 500,000 yuan according to
the circumstances of the infringement.
Anyone who sells a goods that it or he does not know has
infringed the exclusive right to use a registered trademark,
and is able to prove that it or he has obtained the goods
legitimately and indicates the supplier thereof shall not
bear the liability for damages.
Article 57. Where a trademark registrant or interested
party who has evidence to show that another person is committing
or will commit an infringement of the right to use its or
his registered trademark, and that failure to promptly stop
the infringement will cause irreparable damages to its or
his legitimate rights and interests, it or he may file an
application with the People’s Court to order cessation of
the relevant act and to take measures for property preservation
before instituting legal proceedings in the People’s Court.
The People’s Court handling the application under the preceding
paragraph shall apply the provisions of Articles 93 to 96
and 99 of the Civil Procedure Law of the People’s Republic
of China.
Article 58. In order to stop an infringing act, any trademark
registrant or interested party may file an application with
the People’s Court for preservation of the evidence before
instituting legal proceedings in the People’s Court where
the evidence will possibly be destroyed or lost or difficult
to be obtained again in the future.
The People’s Court must make adjudication within forty-eight
hours after receipt of the application; where it is decided
to take the preservative measures, the measures shall be
executed immediately.
The People’s Court may order the applicant to place guaranty;
where the applicant fails to place the guaranty, the application
shall be rejected.
Where the applicant institutes no legal proceedings within
fifteen days after the People’s Court takes the preservative
measures, the People’s Court shall release the measures
taken for the preservation.
Article 59. Where any party uses, without the authorization
from the trademark registrant, a trademark identical with
a registered trademark, and the case is so serious as to
constitute a crime, he shall be prosecuted, according to
law, for his criminal liabilities in addition to his compensation
for the damages suffered by the infringee.
Where any party counterfeits, or makes, without authorization,
representations of a registered trademark of another person,
or sells such representations of a registered trademark
as were counterfeited, or made without authorization, and
the case is so serious as to constitute a crime, he shall
be prosecuted, according to law, for his criminal liabilities
in addition to his compensation for the damages suffered
by the infringee.
Where any party sells goods that he knows bear a counterfeited
registered trademark, and the case is so serious as to constitute
a crime, he shall be prosecuted, according to law, for his
criminal liabilities in addition to his compensation for
the damages suffered by the infringee.
Article 60. The State functionaries for the registration,
administration and reexamination of trademarks must handle
cases according to law, be incorruptable and disciplined,
devoted to their duties and courteous and honest in their
provision of service.
The State functionaries of the Trademark Office and the
Trademark Review and Adjudication Board and those working
for the registration, administration and reexamination of
trademarks shall not practice as trademark agent and engage
in any activity to manufacture and market goods.
Article 61. The administrative authority for industry and
commerce shall establish and amplify its internal supervision
system to supervise and inspect the State functionaries
for the registration, administration and reexamination of
trademarks in their implementation of the laws and administrative
regulations and in their observation of the discipline.
Article 62. Where any State functionary for the registration,
administration and reexamination of trademarks neglects
his duty, abuses his power, engages in malpractice for personal
gain, handles the registration, administration and reexamination
of trademarks in violation of law, accepts money or material
wealth from any interested party or seeks illicit interest,
which constitutes a crime, he or she shall be prosecuted
for his or her criminal liability. If the case is not serious
enough to constitute a crime, he or she shall be given disciplinary
sanction according to law.
Chapter VIII. Supplementary Provisions
Article 63. Any application for a trademark registration
and for other matters concerning a trademark shall be subject
to payment of the fees as prescribed. The schedule of fees
shall be prescribed separately.
Article 64. This Law shall enter into force on March 1,
1983. The "Regulations Governing Trademarks" promulgated
by the State Council on April 10, 1963 shall be abrogated
on the same date, and any other provisions concerning trademarks
contrary to this Law shall cease to be effective at the
same time.
Trademarks registered before this Law enters into force
shall continue to be valid.
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