AI-powered trademark registration

Prerequisites

• Trademark registration applications can be rejected. Before applying, perform a trademark search and review the relevant regulations to avoid conflicts with existing trademarks or violations of trademark law and Trademark Office review rules. For more information, see trademark search.

• First-time applicants must create a trademark applicant profile. When creating the profile, you need to upload required materials for review. You can refer to the material requirements to prepare your documents in advance. For more information about the required materials and formats, see Required Materials for Trademark Registration.

• The review status of your trademark applicant profile does not affect your ability to purchase or submit a trademark order.

• (Recommended) Use a PC to submit AI-Powered Trademark Registration applications. The mobile interface may not display correctly due to adaptation issues, which can cause inconvenience or limited functionality.

• AI-Powered Trademark Registration applications are reviewed by the designated service provider. You cannot select or change to another third-party agency within an existing order. If you want to use another service provider, go to Alibaba Cloud Marketplace, search for trademark registration, and purchase a trademark service from another third-party agency.

Procedure

1. Go to the Trademark Registration page.

2. Enter basic trademark information.

   Refer to the following table to fill in the trademark information.

   Parameter	Description
   Trademark Type	Identify your trademark type and select the corresponding option. The definitions are as follows: Word trademark: A trademark that consists only of text, or an artistic design based on text where the words are still recognizable. Device trademark: A trademark that consists only of a graphic and contains no text, numbers, letters, or recognizable text-based artistic elements. Combination trademark: A trademark that consists of text, numbers, letters, and graphic elements.
   Trademark Name	As of December 10, 2021, Trademark Name is a required field. You must enter the trademark name strictly following the Trademark Office's naming rules for the selected trademark type. Trademark Office naming rules: The Trademark Office objectively names a trademark by visually inspecting its constituent elements. If the trademark name displayed on the Trademark Office website is inconsistent with the one you entered, see What to do if the trademark name on the official website is not found or is inconsistent with the submitted name. If a risk warning appears when the trademark name is reviewed, you must modify the trademark name before you can submit the application. The system does not automatically submit an application that fails the review. To modify the name, return to the original trademark order, click Modify Trademark Name in the Actions column, and then submit the application again. For more examples, see How to select a trademark type and fill in the trademark name. Word trademark: Enter the exact text that makes up the trademark. For example: Alibaba. Note If you select word trademark and use automatic generation for the trademark image, the image content will match the trademark name. Device trademark: You do not need to enter a trademark name. Combination trademark: Name the trademark based on the recognizable text and a description of the graphic. For example: Alibaba Alibaba and device.
   Trademark Image	You can either automatically generate a trademark image or manually upload an existing one. Note Automatic generation is available only for word trademarks. All other types default to manual upload. Automatic generation: The system generates a trademark image based on the trademark name you entered. You can select the font for the generated image based on your requirements. Manual upload: Upload your trademark image. It can be either black and white or color. For image requirements and examples, see Trademark Image Material Requirements. If you upload a black and white image, you can use the trademark in any color after it is successfully registered. All color variations will be considered the registered trademark. If you upload a color image, the service provider will submit the trademark with the specified colors. After registration, the trademark must be used only in the submitted colors to be protected as a registered trademark.
   Trademark Description	Describe the constituent elements of your trademark, such as the text and letters it contains, and specify if they have any special meaning. Note Providing an accurate description of your trademark improves the accuracy of the application information published by the Trademark Office. If you use automatic generation for the trademark image, the system also generates the trademark description for you. For example: The trademark consists of the Chinese text for Alibaba, the English word "Alibaba", and a graphic, with no special meaning.

3. Select trademark classes and items, and then place an order.

   1. Select the classes and items corresponding to the goods or services you want to protect.

      • Manual selection: You can select the items you want to apply for from the class list. For billing information, see Product Pricing.

      • Recommended plan: If you are unsure which items to select, choose an industry related to your business from the drop-down list under Select a recommended industry, and then click Confirm and Add. The system automatically selects relevant items for you.

        Note

        Items selected using the recommended plan are for reference only. The application can be rejected by the reviewing authority, and rejected applications are not eligible for a refund. Please choose carefully.

   2. After you select the classes and items, the total registration fee is displayed under Amount Payable. If the amount is correct, click Place Order. The Trademark Application Notes dialog box appears.

   3. In the Trademark Application Notes dialog box, carefully read the risk disclosures. Once you understand the risks, select the I have read and understood the preceding risk disclosures checkbox, then click Confirm.

4. Confirm and pay for the trademark registration application order.

   On the Order Payment page, review the selected trademark, class details, and amount. If everything is correct, select the I have read, understood, and accept the Trademark Service Terms checkbox, then click Confirm and Pay.

5. After the payment is complete, a "Congratulations, payment successful" message appears. Clicking Console automatically redirects you to the Alibaba Cloud Marketplace console.

   You can also click Contract Application, Usage Details, or Request Invoice to view related information.

6. In the Alibaba Cloud Marketplace console, go to the Purchased Services page, find your Trademark Service order, and click Trademark Service console in the Actions column.

7. Add applicant information. In the Trademark Service console, go to the Service Orders page and click the AI-Powered Trademark Registration tab. Find the target order and click Add Applicant in the Actions column. In the Add Applicant panel, select the target applicant card and click Submit. In the confirmation dialog box, click Confirm Submission.

   If you have not created an applicant profile, click Create New Applicant and fill in the applicant information based on your registration type by referring to the following table.

   • Applicant information

     Field	Individual qualification	Enterprise or social organization qualification
     Applicant qualification	Select Individual. The individual types are Personal Name and Name of Individual Business.	Select Enterprise.
     Country or region	Select your country or region. The default value is Chinese mainland.
     Applicant documents	Individuals must upload the following documents: A photo or scan of a copy of the front and back of your ID card. You must sign and date the copy. For more information, see Applicant document requirements. A scan or photo of the individual business license. Note The ID card must be valid for more than 6 months. The status of the individual business license cannot be revoked, suspended, canceled, or deregistered.	Enterprises must upload a photo of a copy of the original or duplicate business license. The copy must be stamped with the company seal. For more information, see Applicant document requirements. Note The status of the business license cannot be revoked, suspended, canceled, or deregistered. Business licenses for enterprises in Hong Kong (China) must be valid for more than 3 months. For enterprises in other regions, the business license must be valid for more than 6 months. The business scope on the business license cannot include trademark agency, intellectual property agency, or intellectual property services.
     Applicant name or enterprise name	For an individual, enter the full name as it appears on the ID card.	For an enterprise, enter the full legal name exactly as it appears on the business license.
     ID number	For an individual, enter the ID card number.	Not applicable.
     Unified social credit code	For an individual, enter the unified social credit code exactly as it appears on the individual business license.	For an enterprise, enter the unified social credit code exactly as it appears on the business license.
     Applicant address or business license address	For an individual, enter the address from your ID card or any valid address within the Chinese mainland.	For an enterprise, enter the business address exactly as it appears on the business license.

   • Recipient information

     Fill in the recipient information. This information is used for receiving physical documents from the Trademark Office.

     Field	Description
     Recipient name	The recipient's name.
     Recipient phone number	The recipient's phone number.
     Recipient email	The recipient's email address.
     Recipient address	The address for receiving paper documents from the Trademark Office. You must ensure that: The address is in the Chinese mainland. The address can receive registered mail.
     Recipient postal code	The postal code of the recipient. This information is required for registered mail.

   • Power of attorney information

     • Download the Power of Attorney for Trademark Matters and Reusable Legal Declaration templates, then sign or stamp them.

       On the Applicant Information page, click Download Stamped Documents and Samples to download the Power of Attorney for Trademark Matters and Reusable Legal Declaration files. The system automatically populates these files with the applicant information you provided.

       Print the downloaded files and sign or stamp the Power of Attorney for Trademark Matters page and the Reusable Legal Declaration page.

       Note

       • For material requirements, see Required Materials for Trademark Registration.

     • Upload the Power of Attorney for Trademark Matters and Reusable Legal Declaration files.

       Under Upload Material 1, click Upload Image to upload the Power of Attorney for Trademark Matters. Under Upload Material 2, click Upload Image to upload the Reusable Legal Declaration. For format requirements, see Required Materials for Trademark Registration.

       After you upload the Power of Attorney for Trademark Matters, a confirmation dialog box appears. Review the information to ensure it is correct, then select the I have re-checked the Power of Attorney template and confirmed it is correct checkbox and click Confirm Use. When preparing the physical power of attorney for scanning, ensure the paper is flat, clean, and signed in the lower-right corner without being stamped. The Reusable Legal Declaration is valid for two years, so ensure you use the latest version.

       After filling in the information, select the I have read, understood, and accept the above notice checkbox, then click Submit to finish creating the trademark applicant profile.

8. The service provider conducts an initial review of your trademark registration order. If it passes, the service provider submits your order to the Trademark Office for examination and publication. For details about the review process, see Trademark Registration Review Process.

   Log on to the Alibaba Cloud Trademark Service console, go to the Official Document Details page, filter the document type by Notice of Acceptance of Trademark Registration Application, then click Download in the Actions column for the corresponding trademark name to view the details of the Notice of Acceptance of Trademark Registration Application.

   Note

   If the order fails the initial review by the service provider but is not closed, you do not need to pay again. If the order is closed, the fee is refunded to your original payment method.

9. Handle post-registration steps.

   The Trademark Office examines your application and publishes it for preliminary approval. If no opposition is filed during the publication period, the Trademark Office then issues a Trademark Registration Certificate. You can view the certificate in the Trademark Service console.

   Note

   As of January 1, 2022, the China National Intellectual Property Administration no longer issues paper Trademark Registration Certificates. For details, see the Trademark Office Announcement.

FAQ

• How do I view the reason for rejection and revise my application after it is returned by the service provider during the initial review?

• FAQ about common reasons for rejection during initial review

• FAQ about trademark formality examination

• FAQ about trademark substantive examination