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(Adopted
at the 24th Session of the Standing Committee of the Fifth National People's
Congress on 23 August 1982, revised for the first time according to the Decision
on the Amendment of the Trademark Law of the People's Republic of China adopted
at the 30th Session of the Standing Committee of the Seventh National People's
Congress, on 22 February 1993, and revised for the second time according to the
Decision on the Amendment of the Trademark Law of the People's Republic of China
adopted at the 24th Session of the Standing Committee of the Ninth National
People's Congress on 27 October 2001.)
Chapter
l General Provisions
Article
1
This Law is enacted for the purposes of improving the administration of
trademarks, protecting the exclusive right to use trademarks, and of encouraging
producers and operators to guarantee the quality of their goods and services and
maintaining the reputation of their trademarks, with a view to protecting the
interests of consumers, producers and operators and to promoting the development
of the socialist market economy.
Article
2 The
Trademark Office of the administrative authority for industry and commerce under
the State Council shall be responsible for the registration and administration
of trademarks throughout the country.
The
Trademark Review and Adjudication Board, established under the administrative
authority for industry and commerce under the State Council, shall be
responsible for handling matters of trademark disputes.
Article
3
Registered trademarks mean trademarks that have been approved and registered by
the Trademark Office, including trademarks, service marks, collective marks and
certification marks; the trademark registrants shall enjoy the exclusive right
to use the trademarks, and be protected by law.
Said
collective marks mean sings which are registered in the name of bodies,
associations or other organizations to be used by the members thereof in their
commercial activities to indicate their membership of the organizations.
Said
certification marks mean signs which are controlled by organizations capable of
supervising some goods or services and used by entities or individual persons
outside the organization for their goods or services to certify the origin,
material, mode of manufacture, quality or other characteristics of the goods or
services.
Regulations
for the particular matters of registration and administration of collective and
certification marks shall be established by the administrative authority for
industry and commerce under the State Council.
Article
4 Any
natural person, legal entity or other organization intending to acquire the
exclusive right to use a trademark for the goods produced, manufactured,
processed, selected or marketed by it or him, shall file an application for the
registration of the trademark with the Trademark Office. Any natural person,
legal entity or other organization intending to acquire the exclusive right to
use a service mark for the service provided by it or him, shall file an
application for the registration of the service mark with the Trademark Office.
The
provisions set forth in this Law concerning trademarks shall apply to service
marks.
Article
5 Two
or more natural persons, legal entities or other organizations may jointly file
an application for the registration for the same trademark with the Trademark
Office, and jointly enjoy and exercise the exclusive right to use the trademark.
Article
6 As
for any of such goods, as prescribed by the State, that must bear a registered
trademark, a trademark registration must be applied for. Where no trademark
registration has been granted, such goods cannot be marketed.
Article
7 Any
user of a trademark shall be responsible for the quality of the goods in respect
of which the trademark is used. The administrative authorities for industry and
commerce at different levels shall, through the administration of trademarks,
stop any practice that deceives consumers.
Article
8 In
respect of any visual sign capable of distinguishing the goods or service of one
natural person, legal entity or any other organization from that of others,
including any word, design, letters of an alphabet, numerals, three-dimensional
symbol, combinations of
Colours,
and their combination, an application may be filed for registration.
Article
9 Any
trademark in respect of which an application for registration is filed shall be
so distinctive as to be distinguishable, and shall not conflict with any prior
right acquired by another person.
A
trademark registrant has the right to use the words of "registered trademark" or
a symbol to indicate that his trademark is registered.
Article
10 The
following signs shall not be used as trademarks:
(1)
those identical with or similar to the State name, national flag, national
emblem, military flag, or decorations, of the People's Republic of China, with
names of the places where the Central and State organs are located, or with the
names and designs of landmark buildings;
(2)
those identical with or similar to the State names, national flags, national
emblems or military flags of foreign countries, except that the foreign state
government agrees otherwise on the use;
(3)
those identical with or similar to the names, flags or emblems or names, of
international intergovernmentaI organizations, except that the organizations
agree otherwise on the use or that it is not easy for the use to mislead the
public;
(4)
those identical with or similar to official signs and hallmarks, showing
official control or warranty by them, except that the use thereof is otherwise
authorized;
(5)
those identical with or simi1ar to the symbols, or names, of the Red Cross or
the Red Crescent;
(6)
those having the nature of discrimination against any nationality;
(7)
those having the nature of exaggeration and fraud in advertising goods; and
(8)
those detrimental to socialist morals or customs, or having other unhealthy
influences.
The
geographical names as the administrative divisions at or above the county level
and the foreign geographical names well known to the public shall not be used as
trademarks, but such geographical terms as have otherwise meanings or are a part
of collective marks/or a certification marks shall be exclusive. Where a
trademark using any of the above-mentioned geographical names has been approved
and registered, it shall continue to be valid.
Article
11 The
following signs shall not be registered as trademarks:
(1)
those only comprising generic names, designs or models of the goods in respect
of which the trademarks are used; -
(2)
those having direct reference to the quality, main raw materials, function, use,
weight, quantity or other features of the goods in respect of which the
trademarks are used; and
(3)
those lacking distinctive features.
The
signs under the preceding paragraphs may be registered as trademarks where they
have acquired the distinctive features through use and become readily
identifiable.
Article
12
Where an application is filed for registration of a three-dimensional sign as a
trademark, any shape derived from the goods itself, required for obtaining the
technical effect, or giving the goods substantive value, shall not be
registered.
Article
13
Where a trademark in respect of which the application for registration is filed
for use for identical or similar goods is a reproduction, imitation or
translation of another person's trademark not registered in China and likely to cause confusion,
it shall be rejected for registration and prohibited from use.
Where
a trademark in respect of which the application for registration is filed fdr
use for non-identical or dissimilar goods is a reproduction, imitation or
translation of the well-known mark of another person that has been registered in
China, misleads the pub1ic and is likely to create prejudice to the interests of
the well-known mark registrant, it shall be rejected for registration and
prohibited from use.
Article
14
Account shall be taken of the fol1owing factors in establishment of a well-known
mark:
(l)
reputation of the mark to the relevant public;
(2)
time for continued use of the mark;
(3)
consecutive time, extent and geographical area of advertisement of the mark;
(4)
records of protection of the mark as a well-known mark; and
(5)
any other factors relevant to the reputation of the mark.
Article
15
Where any agent or representative registers, in its or his own name, the
trademark of a person for whom it or he acts as the agent or representative
without authorization therefrom, and the latter raises opposition, the trademark
shall be rejected for registration and prohibited from use.
Article
16
Where a trademark contains a geographic indication of the goods in respect of
which the trademark is used, the goods is not from the region indicated therein
and it misleads the public, it shall be rejected for registration and prohibited
from use; however, any trademark that has been registered in good faith shall
remain valid.
The
geographic indications mentioned in the preceding paragraph refer to the signs
that signify the place of origin of the goods in respect of which the signs are
used, their specific quality, reputation or other features as mainly decided by
the natural or cultural factors of the regions.
Article
17 Any
foreign person or foreign enterprise intending to apply for the registration of
a trademark in China shall file an application in accordance with any agreement
concluded between the People's Republic of China and the country to which the
applicant belongs, or according to the international treaty to which both
countries are parties, or on the basis of the principles of reciprocity.
Article
18 Any
foreign person or foreign enterprise intending to apply for the registration of
a trademark or for any other matters conceming a trademark in China sha1l
appoint any of such organizations as designated by the State to act as its or
his agent.
Chapter
II AppIication for Trademark Registration
Article
19 An
applicant for the registration of a trademark shall, in a form, indicate, in
accordance with the prescribed classification of goods, the class of the goods
and the designation of the goods in respect of which the trademark is to be
used.
Article
20
Where any applicant for registration of a trademark intends to use the same
trademark for goods in different classes, an application for registration shall
be filed in respect of each class of the prescribed classification of goods.
Article
21
Where a registered trademark is to be used in respect of other goods of the same
class, a new application for registration shall be filed.
Article
22
Where the sign of a registered trademark is to be altered, a new registration
shall be applied for.
Article
23
Where, after the registration of a trademark, the name, address or other
registered matters concerning the registrant change, an application regarding
the change shall be filed.
Article
24 Any
aPp1icant for the registration of a trademark who files an application for
registration of the same trademark for identica1 goods in China within six
months from the date of filing the first application for the trademark
registration overseas may enjoy the right of priority in accordance with any
agreement concluded between the People's Republic of China and the country to
which the applicant belongs, or according to the international treaty to which
both countries are parties, or on the basis of the principle whereby each
acknowledges the right of priority of the other.
Anyone
claiming the right of priority according to the preceding paragraph shall make a
statement in writing when it or he files the application for the trademark
registration, and submit, within three months, a copy of the application
documents it or he first filed for the registration of the trademark; where the
applicant fails to make the claim in writing or submit the copy of the
application documents within the time limit, the claim shall be deemed not to
have been made for the right of priority.
Article
25
Where a trademark is first used for goods in an international exhibition on
sponsored or recognized by me Chinese Government, the applicant for the
registration of the trademark may enjoy the right of priority within six months
from the date of exhibition of the goods.
Anyone
claiming the right of priority according to the preceding paragraph shall make a
claim in writing when it or he files the application for the registration of the
trademark, and submit, within three months, documents showing the title of the
exhibition in which its or his goods was displayed, proof that the trademark was
used for the goods exhibited, and the date of exhibition; where the claim is not
made in writing, or the proof documents not submitted within the time limit, the
claim shall be deemed not to have been made for the right of priority.
Article
26 The
matters reported and materials submitted in the application for trademark
registration shall be true, accurate and complete.
Chapter
lII Examination for and ApprovaI of Trademark Registration
Article
27
Where a trademark the registration of which has been applied for is in
conformity with the relevant provisions of this Law, the Trademark Office shall,
after examination, preliminarily approve the trademark and publish it.
Article
28
Where a trademark the registration of which has been applied for is not in
conformity with the relevant provisions of this Law, or it is identical with or
similar to the trademark of another person that has, in respect of the same or
similar goods, been registered or, after examination, preliminarily approved,
the Trademark Office shall refuse the application and shall not publish the said
trademark.
Article
29
Where two or more applicants apply for the registration of identical or similar
trademarks for the same or similar goods, the preliminary aPproval, after
examination, and the publication shall be made for the trademark which was first
filed. Where applications are filed on the same day, the preliminary approval,
after examination, and the publication shall be made for the trademark which was
the earliest used, and the applications of the others shall be refused and their
trademarks shall not be published.
Article
30 Any
person may, within three months from the date of the publication, file an
opposition against the trademark that has, after examination, been preliminarily
approved. If no opposition has been filed after the expiration of the time limit
from the publication, the registration shall be approved, a certificate of
trademark registration shall be issued and the trademark shall be published.
Article
31 An
application for the registration of a trademark shall not create any prejudice
to the prior right of another person, nor unfair means be used to pre-emptively
register the trademark of some reputation another person has used.
Article
32
Where the application for registration of a trademark is refused and no
publication of the trademark is made, the Trademark Office shall notify the
applicant of the same in writing. Where the applicant is dissatisfied, he may,
within fifteen days from receipt of the notice, file an application with the
Trademark Review and Adjudication Board for a review. The Trademark Review and
Adjudication Board shall make a decision and notify 'the applicant in writing.
Any
interested party who is not satisfied with the decision made by the Trademark
Review and Adjudication Board may, within thirty days from receipt of the
notice, institute legal proceedings in the People's Court.
Article
33
Where an opposition is filed against the trademark that has, after examination,
been preliminarily approved and published, the Trademark Office shall hear both
the opponent and applicant state facts and grounds, and shall, after
investigation and verification, make a decision. Where any party is
dissatisfied, it or he may within fifteen days from receipt of the notification,
apply for a reexamination, and the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board shall
make a decision and notify both the opponent and applicant in writing.
Any
interested party who is not satisfied with the decision made by the Trademark
Review and Adjudication Board within thirty days from the date of receipt of the
notice, may institute legal proceedings in the People's Court. The People's
Court shall notify the other party to the trademark reexamination proceeding to
be a third party to the litigation.
Article
34
Where the interested party does not, within the statutory time limit, apply for
the reexamination of the adjudication by the Trademark Office or does not
institute legal proceedings in respect of the ad judication by the Trademark
Review and Ad judication Board, the adjudication takes effect.
Where
the opposition cannot be established upon ad judication, the registration shall
be approved, a certificate of trademark registration shall be issued and the
trademark shall be published; where the opposition is established upon
adjudication, the registration shall not be approved.
Where
the opposition cannot be established upon ad judication, but the registration is
approved, the time of the exclusive right the trademark registration applicant
has obtained to use the trademark is counted from the date on which the three
months expires from the publication of the preliminary examination.
Article
35 Any
application for trademark registration and trademark reexamination shall be
examined in due course.
Article
36
Where any trademark registration applicant or registrant finds any obvious
errors in the trademark registration documents or application documents, it or
he may apply for correction thereof The Trademark Office shall ex officio make
the correction according to law and notify the interested party of the
correction.
The
error correction mentioned in the preceding paragraph shall not relate to the
substance of the trademark registration documents or application documents.
Chapter
IV RenewaI, Assignment and Licensing of Registered Trademarks
Article
37 The
period of validity of a registered trademark shall be ten years, counted from
the date of approval of the registration.
Article
38
Where the registrant intends to continue to use the registered trademark beyond
the expiration of the period of validity, an application for renewal of the
registration shall be made within six months before the said expiration. Where
no application therefore has been filed within the said period, a grace period
of six months may be allowed. If no application has been filed at the expiration
the grace period, the registered trademark shall be cancelled.
The
period of validity of each renewal of registration shaIl be ten years.
Any
renewa1 of registration shall be published after it as been approved.
Article
39
Where a registered trademark is assigned, the assignor and assignee shall
conclude a contract for the assignment, and jointly file an application with the
trademark Office. The assignee shall guarantee the quality of the goods in
respect of which the registered trademark is used.
The
assignment of a registered trademark shall be published after it has been
approved, and the assignee enjoys the exclusive right to use the trademark from
the date of publication.
Article
40 Any
trademark registrant may, by signing a trademark license contf8ct, authorize
other persons to use his registered trademark. The licensor shall supervise the
quality of the goods in respect of which the licensee uses his registered
trademark, and the licensee shall guarantee the quality of the goods in respect
of which the registered Trademark is used.
Where
any party is authorized to use a registered trademark of another person, the
name of the licensee and the origin of the goods must be indicated on the goods
that bear the registered trademark.
The
trademark license contract shall be submitted to the Trademark Office for
record.
Chapter
V Adjudication of Disputes Concerning Registered Trademarks
Article
41
Where a registered trademark stands in violation of the provisions of Articles
10, 11 and 12 of this Law, or the registration of a trademark was acquired by
fraud or any other unfair means, the Trademark Office shall cancel the
registered trademark in question; and any other organization or individual may
request the Trademark Review and Ad judication Board to make an adjudication to
cancel such a registered trademark.
Where
a registered trademark stands in violation of the provisions of Articles l3, l5,
l6 and 3l of this Law, any other trademark owner concerned or interested party
may, within five years from the date of the registration of the trademark, file
a request with the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board for adjudication to
cancel the registered trademark. Where a well-known mark is registered in bad
faith, the genuine owner thereof shall not be restricted by the five-year
limitation.
In
addition to those cases as provided for in the preceding two paragraphs, any
person disputing a registered trademark may, within five years from the date of
approval of the trademark registration, apply to the Trademark Review and
Adjudication Board for adjudication.
The
Trademark Review and Adjudication Board shall, after receipt of the application
for adjudication, notify the interested parties and request them to respond with
arguments within a specified period.
Article
42
Where a trademark, before its being approved for registration, has been the
object of opposition and decision, no application for adjudication may be filed
based on the same facts and grounds.
Article
43
After the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board has made an adjudication
either to maintain or to cancel a registered trademark, it shall notify the
interested parties of the same in writing.
Any
interested party who is dissatisfied with the adjudication made 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. The People's
Court shall notify the other party of the trademark adjudication proceeding to
be a third party to the legal proceedings.
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
VlI Protection of the ExcIusive 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;
(4)
to replace, without the consent of the trademark registrant, its or his
registered trademark and market again the goods bearing the replaced trademark;
or
(5)
to cause, in other respects, prejudice to the exclusive right of another person
to use a registered trademark.
Article
53
Where any party has committed any of such acts to infringe the exclusive right
to use a registered trademark as provided for in Article 52 of this Law and has
caused a dispute, the interested parties shall resolve the dispute through
consultation; where they are reluctant to resolve the matter through
consultation or the consultation fails, the trademark registrant or interested
party may institute legal proceedings in the People's Court or request the
administrative authority for industry and commerce for actions. Where it is
established that the infringing act is constituted in its handling the matter,
the administrative authority for industry and commerce handling the matter shall
order the infringer to immediately stop the infringing act, confiscate and
destroy the infringing goods and tools specially used for the manufacture of the
infringing goods and for counterfeiting the representations of the registered
trademark, and impose a fine. Where any interested party is dissatisfied with
decision on handling the matter, it or he may, within fifteen days from the date
of receipt of the notice, institute legal proceedings in the People's Court
according
to the Administrative Procedure Law of the People's Republic of
China. If there have been instituted
no legal proceedings or made on performance of the decision at the expiration of
the said period, the administrative authority for industry and commerce shall
request the People's Court for compulsory execution thereof. The administrative
authority for industry and commerce handling the matter may, upon the request of
the interested party, medicate on the amount of compensation for the
infringement of the exclusive right to use the trademark; where the medication
fails, the interested party may institute legal proceedings in the People's
Court according to the Civil Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China.
Article
54 The
administrative authority for industry and commerce has the power to investigate
and handle any act of infringement of the exclusive right to use a registered
trademark according to law; where the case is so serious as to constitute a
crime, it shall be transferred to the judicial authority for handling.
Article
55
When investigating and handling an act suspected of infringement of a registered
trademark, the administrative authority for industry and commerce at or above
the county level may, according to the obtained evidence of the suspected
violation of law or informed offence, exercise the following functions and
authorities:
(1 )
to inquire of the interested parties involved, and to investigate the relevant
events of the infringement of the exclusive right to use the trademark;
(2)
to read and make copy of the contract, receipts, account books and other
relevant materials of the interested parties relating to the infringement;
(3)
to inspect the site where the interested party committed the alleged
infringement of the exclusive right to use the trademark; and
(4)
to inspect any articles relevant to the infringement; any articles that prove to
have been used for the infringement of another person's exclusive right to use
the trademark may be sealed up or seized.
When
the administrative authority for industry and commerce exercises the preceding
functions and authorities, the interested party shall cooperate and help, and
shall not refuse to do so or stand in the way.
Article
56 The
amount of damages shall be the profit that the infringer has earned because of
the infringement in the period of the infringement or the injury that the
infringee has suffered from the infringement in the period of the infringement,
including the appropriate expenses of the infringee for stopping the
infringement.
Where
it is difficult to determine the profit that the infringer has earned because of
the infringement in the period of the infringement or the injury that the
infringee has suffered from the infringement in the period of the infringement,
the People's Court shall impose an amount of damages of no more than RMB 500,
000 yuan according to the circumstances of the infringement.
Anyone
who sells a goods that it or he does not know has infringed the exclusive right
to use a registered trademark, and is able to prove that it or he has obtained
the goods legitimately and indicates the supplier thereof shall not bear the
liability for damages.
Article
57
Where a trademark registrant or interested party who has evidence to show that
another person is committing or will commit an infringement of the right to use
its or his registered trademark, and that failure to promptly stop the
infringement will cause irreparable damages to its or his legitimate rights and
interests, it or he may file an application with the People's Court to order
cessation of the relevant act and to take measures for property preservation
before instituting legal proceedings in the People's Court.
The
People's Court handling the application under the preceding paragraph shall
apply the provisions of Articles 93 to 96 and 99 of the Civil Procedure Law of
the People's Republic of China.
Article
58 In
order to stop an infringing act, any trademark registrant or interested party
may file an application with the People's Court for preservation of the evidence
before instituting legal proceedings in the People's Court where the evidence
will possibly be destroyed or lost or difficult to be obtained again in the
future. The People's Court must make adjudication within forty-eight hours after
receipt of the application; where it is decided to take the preservative
measures, the measures shall be executed immediately. The People's Court may
order the applicant to place guaranty; where the applicant fails to place the
guaranty, the application shall be rejected.
Where
the applicant institutes no legal proceedings within fifteen days after the
People's Court takes the preservative measures, the People's Court shall release
the measures taken for the preservation.
Article
59
Where any party uses, without the authorization from the trademark registrant, a
trademark identical with a registered trademark, and the case is so serious as
to constitute a crime, he shall be prosecuted, according to law, for his
criminal liabilities in addition to his compensation for the damages suffered by
the infringee.
Where
any party counterfeits, or makes, without authorization, representations of a
registered trademark of another person, or sells such representations of a
registered trademark as were counterfeited, or made without authorization, and
the case is so serious as to constitute a crime, he shall be prosecuted,
according to law, for his criminal liabilities in addition to his compensation
for the damages suffered by the infringee.
Where
any party sells goods that he knows bear a counterfeited registered trademark,
and the case is so serious as to constitute a crime, he shall be prosecuted,
according to law, for his criminal liabilities in addition to his compensation
for the damages suffered by the infringee.
Article
60 The
State functionaries for the registration, administration and reexamination of
trademarks must handle cases according to law, be incorruptible and disciplined,
devoted to their duties and courteous and honest in their provision of service.
The
State functionaries of the Trademark Office and the Trademark Review and
Adjudication Board and those working for the registration, administration and
reexamination of trademarks shall not practice as trademark agent and engage in
any activity to manufacture and market goods.
Article
61 The
administrative authority for industry and commerce shall establish and amplify
its internal supervision system to supervise and inspect the State functionaries
for the registration, administration and reexamination of trademarks in their
implementation of the laws and administrative regulations and in their
observation of the discipline.
Article
62
Where any State functionary for the registration, administration and
reexamination of trademarks neglects his duty, abuses his power, engages in
malpractice for personal gain, handles the registration, administration and
reexamination of trademarks in violation of law, accepts money or material
wealth from any interested party or seeks illicit interest, which constitutes a
crime, he or she shall be prosecuted for his or her criminal liabi1ity. If the
case is not serious enough to constitute a crime, he or she shall be given
disciplinary sanction according to law.
Chapter
VIII Supplementary Provisions
Article
63 Any
application for a trademark registration and for other matters concerning a
trademark shall be subject to payment of the fees as prescribed. The schedule of
fees shall be prescribed separately.
ArticIe
64
This Law shall enter into force on March l, l983. The "Regulations Governing
Trademarks" promulgated by the State Council on April l0, l963 shall be
abrogated on the same date, and any other provisions concerning trademarks
contrary to this Law shall cease to be effective at the same time.
Trademarks
registered before this Law enters into force shall continue to be
valid. |