Trademark Law of the People's Republic of China
Author:Issuing Date:2008-01-24 13:31:03Source:
Chapter Vl 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trademark is used in respect of the goods that have been roughly or poorly manufactured, or whose superior quality has been replaced by inferior quality, so that consumers are deceived, the administrative authorities for industry and commerce at different levels shall, according to the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;