Annual Technical Report 2008 on Trademark Information Activities submitted by China (SCIT/ATR/TM/2008/CN)
Where URLs are requested below, it is preferred that either URLs which are likely to remain stable over time (three years or more) are provided, or home (main) page URLs are provided with a short explanation of how to access the corresponding information.
I. Evolution of registration activities
Since 1994, we have accomplished the computer search. In 2001, our office achieved the paperless trademark examination. In 2003, online publication comes true. On December 26, 2005, online searching was implemented. So did online trademark application on trial basis on December 26, 2005.
Changes experienced in terms of application filings and registrations with respect to the previous year
The percentage of online application is 3% in 2007 and 8% in 2008. Since October 1, 2008, china trademark office have dropped the fee by 20% to online applications, so it is estimated that the proportion of online application will have a sharp increase.
Trends or areas experiencing rapid changes with respect to the previous year
At the end of 2007, the backlog of trademark application for registration reached 1,820,000. In 2008, the aim for resolving the backlog within three years was brought forward. We have taken action in speeding-up trademark registration and review. The number of examination is 750,000, while the number of trademark application for registration in 2008 is 698,000. It is the first time that the annual number of examination is larger than application since 2002.
URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide statistics related to trademarks
http://sbj.saic.gov.cn/english/tjxx/tjxx.asp
II. Matters concerning the generation, reproduction, and distribution of secondary sources of trademark information, i.e., trademark gazettes
To strengthen communication with the public and to make it convenient for all the parties to search the Trademark Gazette, and to further improve transparence and accuracy，CTMO began to issue the Trademark Gazette on CTMO website from December 26 2003, while continuing to issue printed Gazette. The website releases 12 latest Trademark Gazette, including all the trademarks which have been preliminarily approved and the information concerning registration, renewal, modification, assignment, annulment, opposition of trademark, trademark review and adjudication and recordal of trademark license contract.
Publishing, printing, copying techniques
Online Searching can allow the searching and printing of the information concerning both registered trademarks and trademark applications.
Main types of announcements of the Office in the field of trademark information
Electronic and paper.
Mass storage media and microforms used
No
Word processing and office automation
No
Techniques used for the generation of trademark information (printing, recording, photocomposing, etc.)
After the pick-up of trademark information from database, the content is photocomposed automatically using photocomposing software and then printed into books.
URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide access to online trademark gazettes and to other sources of trademark information, including download of bulk trademark data
http://sbj.saic.gov.cn/english/sbgg/sbgg.asp
III. Matters concerning classifying, reclassifying and indexing of trademark information
The Trademark Office of SAIC classifies, reclassifies and indexes trademark information.
Classification and reclassification activities; Classification systems used, e.g., International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks (Nice Classification), International Classification of the Figurative Elements of Marks (Vienna Classification), other classification (please indicate whether goods and services for the registration of marks and whether the figurative elements of marks are classified by your Office and, if so, which classification(s) is (are) used)
Nice Classification is used for goods and services for the registration of marks. Vienna Classification is also used for the figurative elements of marks.
Use of electronic classification systems to check the classification symbols furnished by an applicant and which are contained in the lists of goods and/or services
Our office uses electronic classification systems. At present, about 70%~80% trademark applications use electronic classification systems to check the classification symbols furnished by an applicant and which are contained in the lists of goods and services.
Obligation for applicants to use pre-defined terms of the classification applied
Applicants do not have obligation to use pre-defined terms of the classification applied necessarily, but we intensively recommend applicants to use pre-defined terms of the classification applied.
Bibliographic data and processing
All application information for trademark registration is transformed into electronic data, but some procedures like opposition, review and adjudication proofs are still stored in paper.
IV. Trademark manual search file establishment and upkeep
China trademark office has set up a standard archive interrelating system papery files and electronic files.
File Building
Every archive volume has a serial number
Updating
The related information is updated into volume.
Storage, including mass storage media
The Trademark Office of SAIC uses disk arrays adopting the technology of SAN to store data.
Documentation from other offices maintained and/or considered part of the available search file
No
V. Activities in the field of computerized trademark search systems
There are mainly two features in respect of online search of trademark registration information: First, users could search on line for free; Second, the search provided to the public is basically similar to that used by trademark examiners in CTMO.
In-house systems (online/offline)
We use the trademark administrative management system established in 2001.
External databases
On December 26, 2005, CTMO startted online Search of Trademark Registration Information to the Public and set up external databases. The databases are subsets in in-house systems. The trademark information is accordant to in-house systems and updated once a week.
Administrative management systems (e.g., register, legal status, statistics and administrative support)
Our trademark administrative management system contains information on trademark register, legal status, statistics and administrative support.
Equipment used (hardware, including the types of terminal and network used, and software), carriers used
China trademark office has established the trademark information database and possesses 17 high-performance servers such as IBM and SUN and more than 1,000 terminal users; major examination businesses are now conducted electronically during the whole process. The types of terminal and network used, and software are respectively HP, CISICO and ORACLE. The carriers used as storage media are external hard-drive and USB disk (trademark is AIGO).
Equipment used (hardware, including the types of terminal and network used, and software), carriers used
China trademark office has established the trademark information database and possesses 17 high-performance servers such as IBM and SUN and more than 1,000 terminal users; major examination businesses are now conducted electronically during the whole process. The types of terminal and network used, and software are respectively HP, CISICO and ORACLE. The carriers used as storage media are external hard-drive and USB disk (trademark is AIGO).
VI. Administration of trademark information products and services available to the public (relating to facilities, e.g., for lodging applications, registering trademarks, assisting clients with search procedures, obtaining official publications and registry extracts)
The Trademark Office of SAIC technically developed application software concerning online searching, online application and manual search (not free of charge).
Planning, administration, automation, security
Online application will expand its scope step by step.
Collection management, preservation
CTMO provides online search of trademark registration information to the public, but the public cannot download the database.
Information services available to the public (including computerized services and search files contained in libraries remote from your Office and trademark information posted by your Office on the World Wide Web)
We have information services available to the public (including computerized services and trademark information posted by our Office on the intenet)
URLs of web pages of the Office's website for electronic filing of trademark applications
http://sbj.saic.gov.cn/wssqgg.asp
URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide information on business procedures such as: filing, publication, examination and registration procedures related to trademarks; opposition and appeal procedures related to trademarks; etc.
http://sbj.saic.gov.cn/english/index_e.asp
URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that provide a description of information products and services offered by the Office (e.g., trademark search service(s) and trademark databases), as well as information on how to access and utilize them
http://sbj.saic.gov.cn/english/sbscbz.asp
VII. Matters concerning mutual exchange of trademark documentation and information
No
International or regional cooperation in the exchange of trademark information, e.g., in the form of official gazettes
No
Exchange of machine-readable information
No
VIII. Matters concerning education and training, including technical assistance to developing countries (please indicate URLs of web pages of the Office’s website wherever appropriate)
No
Promotional activities (seminars, exhibitions, visits, advertising, etc.)
No
Training courses for national and foreign participants
No
Assistance to developing countries (sending consultants and experts, receiving trainees from developing countries, etc.)
No
IX. Other general information related to the Office that is available on the Internet -- URLs of web pages of the Office’s website that:
provide information on legislation related to trademarks
http://sbj.saic.gov.cn/english/law/law.asp
contain the Annual Report of the Office
http://sbj.saic.gov.cn/english/report/report.asp
if necessary, provide further information related to the topics referred to in the current ATR
No
provide open source codes related to trademark information systems
No
contain trademark-related news regarding the Office
http://sbj.saic.gov.cn/english/news/news.asp
X. Other relevant matters
No