Legal updates and opinions
Post Author
News / News
Amendments To China’s Trade Mark Laws
By Donvay Wegierski, Director
In April 2019 it was announced that certain Amendments to China’s Trade Mark law will come into effect on 1 November 2019 including:
- Increasing the content against bad-faith registration for the purpose of regulating the acts of bad-faith applications and hoarding registrations otherwise known as “trade mark squatters”.
- Reinforcing the penalties for trade mark infringement.
During the course of 2018 seven million trade mark applications were filed in China with over eighteen million trade marks on the Chinese register belonging to Chinese nationals. The vast number of trade marks filed are indicative of many which are filed and retained in bad faith preventing the rightful proprietors from doing so.
The amendments will introduce measures for the Chinese Trade Mark office to refuse trade mark applications filed in bad faith which are not intended for use and and will no doubt be welcomed by brand owners worldwide. Trade mark proprietors may also include “bad faith registration / not for use” as a basis in trade mark oppositions and invalidations.
If you would like to learn more about Intellectual Property please visit our practice area page.
Latest News
The Concept of “Need” in South Africa’s Healthcare Framework: From Certificates of Need to National Health Insurance Accreditation
by Neil Kirby, Director and Head of Healthcare & Life Sciences and Vhutshilo Muambadzi, Candidate Attorney On 18 May 2026, the [...]
The Chief Restructuring Officer in South Africa in 2026: A real option for the turnaround of distressed entities
by Eric Levenstein, Head of Insolvency and Business Rescue As South African companies continue to suffer from an ailing economy, [...]
Business rescue recapitalisations upheld: the legal and commercial significance of White Rivers Exploration v Polsun
by Jonathan Stockwell, Director, Amy Mackechnie, Senior Associate and Clio Patricios, Candidate Attorney The Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, has delivered [...]
Leave to Appeal Refused, but Questions Remain: The Matric Results Privacy Dispute and the Meaning of Personal Information under POPIA
by: Armand Swart, Director and Isabella Keeves, Candidate Attorney On 3 June 2026, the Gauteng High Court refused the Information [...]
Mind the Conduct: A Guide to COFI – Part 3: Consumer Protection and Transparency
by Hilah Laskov, Director Introduction In this article series, we take a deep dive into the South African Conduct of [...]
Cryptocurrency is money and capital for exchange-control purposes
by Azraa Sidat, Candidate Attorney, reviewed by Janice Geel, Associate and Natalie Scott, Director and Head of Sustainability 1. Introduction [...]
