Chinese Enterprises Seek Trademark Registration Protection Abroad to Expand International Market
trademark
NANNING June (China News Service) “Against the backdrop of economic globalization, Chinese brands are having greater influence in the international arena; however, many well-known brands suffer from trademark squatting abroad, which poses great barriers for Chinese enterprises to expand international market. Therefore, trademark registration and protection should be promoted to lay a solid foundation for Chinese enterprises to go global”, said Wu Dongping on June 13, deputy secretary of China Trademark Association (CTA).
On June 13, Training Workshop on Intellectual Property Protection with Focus on the Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks was held in Nanning City, capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The Madrid system is administered by the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Rights owners need to file an application in “home” IP office, and then submit an international application through this same IP Office, which will certify and forward it to WIPO. Later, WIPO will conduct a formal examination of this international application. Once approved, the mark will be protected by many countries of the Madrid System. The opportunity of having a single registration to cover a wide range of countries gives advantages, both in terms of simple procedures and cost savings. Nowadays, members of the Madrid System can be found in countries with fast economic development. Statistics show that the number of Chinese application through the Madrid System has increased dramatically, from 3,200 in 2016 to 6,900 in 2018.
According to Wu, many Chinese brands have suffered from trademark squatting overseas in recent years. Data shows that nearly 200 Chinese trademarks were registered in Australia and nearly 100 were in Japan. Particularly, after the trademarks of Zhenjiang Vinegar and Wang Zhihe were squatted in South Korea and Germany respectively, these brands now face difficulties in selling products in the two countries.
Feng Xuejun, deputy director of Administration for Market Regulation of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, said that China-ASEAN Exposition (CAEXPO) provides a great opportunity for Guangxi to host forums concerning market regulation with such themes as trademark registration and protection as well as trademark and economic development, so as to enhance the awareness of enterprises of “trademark first” in their operations in ASEAN countries. Nowadays, enterprises in Guangxi are filing an increasing number of trademark applications in countries like Singapore and Vietnam.
“There is still a long way to go for Chinese brands to go global”, said Wu; therefore, Chinese enterprises should formulate global strategies to facilitate the internationalization of their brands. This workshop aims to help Chinese enterprises make better use of the Madrid System and exchange ideas of brand development in globalization.
Deputy director of Madrid Operations Division of Madrid Registry of WIPO said that in recent years, the International Bureau of WIPO has been working to optimize various measures, and the accession of countries like Canada has helped expand the coverage of protocols. Simple and convenient international registration will bring more benefits to Chinese enterprises.
June 30, 2019
Source: China News Service
Photo from: 6199pic.com
