International

An international trademark can be applied for in English, French or Spanish, however, in order to enjoy enforceable protection in China, a trademark must be registered in Chinese characters.

Bad-faith registrations and secondary market trade have become an industry in China. The process of invalidating bad-faith and objecting to already registered marks requires the instigation of court proceedings in China. In the meantime, the trademark holder in China can severely disrupt the freedom of overseas entity to operate within the territory including its borders for imports and exports.