Guangzhou Municipality, Well-known Trademark Verification Measures

Effective: May 1 2001
Interpreting authority: Guangzhou Administration for Industry and Commerce (Guangzhou AIC)
Applicability: A Guangzhou well-known trademark is a trademark registered in China owned by a proprietor in the Guangzhou district and has a comparatively high reputation and added trademark value as well as having a significant market share and being well-known to the relevant public (Article 2).

Main contents: Article 4 of the Measures provides for the establishment of the Well-known Trademark Verification Committee of Guangzhou Municipality. Article 5 outlines the responsibilities of the Committee. These include preliminary assessment of applications, review of applications, consultation with relevant departments and experts, and final approval or rejection. Article 6 lists the prerequisites for certification in Guangzhou. For instance, a trademark must be possessed by a proprietor in the Guangzhou district; it must have been registered and used in China for at least three years; it must be widely recognized and possess a reputation for excellence; it must be professionally managed and there must be a real threat to the benefit of the trademark; or a good reason to apply for certification. The Committee will decide whether to accept the application within 15 days of receiving the application documents (Article 10). The Committee will issue certification upon approval of the application (Article 16). Certification is valid for three years (Article 21). The Guangzhou AIC will only consider recommending for provincial well-known trademark verification those trademarks that have been verified by Guangzhou Municipality (Article 22). Application is free, but the applicant must pay the fees that are incurred when the Committee publicly announces its decision to award certification (Article 23).