National Intellectual Property Administration cracks down on "scheming trademarks"

The State Council Information Office held a press conference today, during which the National Intellectual Property Administration introduced that in recent times, "misleading trademarks" have attracted the attention of many consumers. In response to this issue, the National Intellectual Property Administration is taking strong measures for targeted rectification. Strictly review registration applications. They have further improved trademark examination standards, formulated the "Guidelines for Examination of Deceptive Trademarks," strengthened examiner training and guidance on typical cases, implemented examination responsibilities, strictly examined applications that falsify information in terms of quality, function, origin, etc., and resolutely rejected trademark applications that may mislead consumers. Since 2023, a total of 1.273 million such trademark applications have been rejected. Handle invalid declarations promptly and strictly in accordance with the law. For trademarks that have been registered in accordance with regulations but are found to have serious misleading behaviors during use, they have improved the mechanism for proactive screening and reporting of clues, and will declare them invalid promptly and strictly in accordance with the law. Up to now, they have declared 3,351 such trademarks invalid according to their authority. Enhance governance by improving relevant laws and regulations. Currently, the Trademark Law has been through the first deliberation at the National People's Congress Standing Committee meeting. In this revision, legal provisions specifically targeting "misleading use of registered trademarks" have been added. This means that in the future, those who deceive consumers under the guise of trademarks will face stricter penalties.