Trademark Law of the
PR China
Trademark
Law of the People's Republic of China
(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
intergovernmental 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 for 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
adjudication by the Trademark Review and Adjudication
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 Renewal, 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 contract, 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
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;
(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.
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