Beijing – June 26, 2026, the Standing Committee of the Fourteenth National People’s Congress passed the revised Trademark Law, increasing the number of provisions from 73 to 87 articles. This is the first comprehensive revision of the PRC Trademark Law since its adoption in 1982 and entry into force in 1983 and reflects a major legislative shift from a registration-focused framework to one that places greater emphasis on the genuine use of trademarks.
The revised law is scheduled to take effect on January 01, 2027 and introduces the following key amendments:
| Trademark Law 2019 | Revised Trademark Law 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Non-traditional trademark | Motion marks were not expressly recognized as registrable subject matter. | Formally recognizes motion marks, together with other non-traditional trademarks, as registrable signs (Article 14). |
| Bad-faith trademark filing | Only addressed bad-faith applications filed without an intention to use. | Introduces the objective standard that applications filed without an intention to use and manifestly beyond the needs of normal production or business operations shall be refused (Article 19). |
| Administrative penalties for bad-faith filing | No administrative penalties at the application stage. | Introduces administrative sanctions, including warnings and fines of up to RMB 100,000 for certain bad-faith filing activities (Article 54). |
| Definition of trademark use | Internet-based use was not expressly recognized. | Expressly recognizes trademark use through the Internet and other information networks (Article 2(3)). |
| Obligation to use registered trademark | Non-use cancellation could only be initiated upon application by a third party. | The trademark authority may also cancel registrations ex officio for three consecutive years of non-use without justifiable reasons (Article 57(3)). |
| Opposition procedure | Three-month opposition period. | Reduced to two months (Article 36). |
Sources: China’s Trademark Law, revised in 2026; Trademark Law adopted in 1982 (CNIPA).