SAIC organized a news conference on strengthening trademark registration facilitation reform and practically improving trademark registration efficiency

      On November 23, SAIC organized a news conference on strengthening trademark registration facilitation reform and practically improving trademark registration efficiency. Cui Shoudong, secretary of Trademark Office party committee and deputy director general of Trademark Office introduced achievement since the start of reform. Chen Kui, director of General Affairs Division interpreted SAIC’s Opinions on Strengthening Trademark Registration Facilitation Reform and Practically Improving Trademark Registration Efficiency. Huang Jiancheng, director general of Information Center hosted the conference.

　　Since the 18th National Congress of CPC, trademark registration facilitation reform got remarkable achievement. AICs and Market Supervision departments at all levels targeted at the most concerned, direct and real issues, made efforts to finish the things one by one, which effectively encouraged innovation and entrepreneurship, and benefited many enterprises, innovators and consumers from trademark registration facilitation reform.

　　Expanding application channel and providing more convenience. Currently, 105 trademark application windows, and 49 trademark pledges recording windows were established and spread over 29 provincial level AICs and Market Supervision departments. Online application, retrieval, gazette and payment were available. Online application included 23 transactions. The charge of trademark fee was also reduced 50% to effectively lower business cost.

　　To improve trademark examination mechanism and efficiency. SAIC accelerated the establishment of TECC outside of Beijing. Guangzhou TECC was established on December 1, 2016, Shanghai TECC on September 29, 2017, and Chongqing TECC in this early December. In future, SAIC would like to coordinate and establish about 2 or 3 new TECCs outside of Beijing. On December 27, Trademark Office achieved the target of shortening examination time limit from 9 months to 8 months, 2 months ahead of its schedule. It actively promoted the examination conducted by single examiner for the whole procedure, constantly improved quality management and supervision mechanism, and made continuous improvement for trademark quality.

　　Simplifying documents and optimizing procedures for improving trademark public service. It reform work method and optimize procedures. Trademark Application Acceptance document was issued within 2 months compared with previous 6 months. It also simplified Madrid international trademark materials and procedures, Geographical Indication materials, changed the traditional way of issuing trademark registration certificate, improved the way of issuing trademark registration certification and its content and layout by sending the certification directly to applicants and facilitate the applicants.

　　Actively promoting electronic processing for the whole registration procedure for improving users’ experience. New trademark online retrieval system was efficient and convenient. All trademark data was available for public. On November 6, 2017, new trademark gazette system was available online and shortened the composing of trademarks which preliminarily approved to one week from one and half month, and realized coverage of all data since the resume publication of gazette, i.e. since the first gazette in 1980.

　　Since the one year’s promoting of trademark registration facilitation reform, the market entities’ awareness on trademarks and brands were enhanced gradually, and application were increased quickly. From January to October, trademark application were 4.413 million, increasing 0.722 million compared with last year’s 3.691 million. Online application were 3.771 million, accounting for 85.45%. Meanwhile, trademark and brand value constantly grew and showed greater functions in instructing economic development. China has been the country where brand value grew quickest. According to statistic, for the past 12 years, the brand value increased 937%, taking 11% value of the World Top 100.

　　Generally, trademark reform has made a certain achievement, but was still hard to implement the State Council’s reform requirement and to meet enterprises’ requirement for innovation and entrepreneurship. There were deep conflict prohibited the improving of trademark efficiency. A great of strong, high and solid methods , and more arduous and hard work were needed. SAIC issued therefore on November 14 Opinions on Strengthening Trademark Registration Facilitation Reform and Practically Improving Trademark Registration Efficiency.

　　The Opinion has 7 sectors and proposed 20 methods from 6 aspects, which clearly indicated that before the end of 2018, the issue of trademark application acceptance document would be shortened to 1 month from 2 month, examination time limit shortened to 6 months from 8 months, trademark transfer time limit shortened to 4 months from 6 months, change and renewal time limit shortened to 2 months from 3 months, blind date for trademark retrieval shortened to 2 months from 3 months.