Trademark registration agency services are professional legal services assisting enterprises in completing trademark registrations, significantly improving success rates and avoiding rejection risks. This article thoroughly explains the criteria for selecting agencies, detailed fees, and the entire process to help you avoid low-price traps and quickly secure exclusive trademark rights, ensuring smoother brand protection.

I. What Is Trademark Registration Agency? Core Value Analysis

1.1 Essence of Trademark Registration Agency

Trademark registration agency refers to entrusted organizations acting on behalf of clients to handle trademark registration applications, oppositions, reviews, and related legal affairs. It is not merely document submission but includes professional searches, risk assessment, and process management.

For example, a catering company intending to register the trademark “Chuan Xiang Ju” found a similar registered mark “Chuan Xiang Ge” during agency search, and was advised to modify to “Chuan Xiang Xiao Ju,” avoiding rejection.

1.2 Why Use Trademark Registration Agency Services?

• • Professional expertise: Agents understand trademark classifications (45 classes) and accurately select goods/services items
• • Efficiency improvement: Agencies process 50+ cases daily, familiar with procedures, faster than individual applications by 2–3 weeks
• • Risk reduction: Professional search detects over 90% of similar trademarks, lowering rejection rate by 60%
• • Post-application support: Timely handling of corrections, oppositions, and other issues, whereas individuals often miss opportunities due to unfamiliarity

II. Core Differences Between Trademark and Patent Agency Services

2.1 Legal Qualification Differences

2.2 Licensing Regulation Differences

Trademark licensing requires supervision of product quality (e.g., clothing brand supervising licensee factories via random quality checks). Patent licensing relates only to technical implementation, no product quality supervision is required (e.g., pharmaceutical patent licensed for production under compliance).

III. How to Choose a Trademark Registration Agency? Pitfalls to Avoid

3.1 Five Criteria for Reliable Agencies

1. 1. Valid qualification: Check agency registration on official Trademark Office website (search by institution name for registration number)
2. 2. Experience: Prefer agencies with 5+ years; newer agencies may lack experience
3. 3. Clear process: Should offer search → advice → application → follow-up, not just “one-click submission”
4. 4. Rich cases: Successful cases in similar industries (e.g., catering trademarks for food industry clients)
5. 5. Transparent fees: No hidden charges (e.g., no extra fees for corrections or oppositions)

3.2 Beware of Three Types of Unscrupulous Agencies

• • Low-price traps: Advertising “300 RMB all-in,” then charging extra “rush fees” or “monitoring fees” later
• • False promises: Guaranteeing “100% approval,” ignoring inherent uncertainties of examination
• • Hidden bundling: Forcing unnecessary services like “trademark monitoring” or “copyright registration”

IV. How Much Does Trademark Registration Agency Service Cost? Fee Breakdown

4.1 Official vs. Agency Fees

For more than 10 items, each additional item costs 30 RMB official fee; agency fees increase accordingly.

4.2 Factors Affecting Fees

• • Trademark type: Collective and certification trademarks cost more (about 2000–5000 RMB)
• • Registration class: Popular classes (e.g., Class 35 Advertising, Class 9 Software) incur 10–20% higher fees due to complex searches
• • Service scope: Packages including opposition defense cost 500–1000 RMB more than pure registration
• • Expedited service: Submission within 72 hours adds 200–500 RMB (normal submission takes 1–3 business days)

V. Trademark Registration Agency Process: From Engagement to Certificate

5.1 Detailed Step-by-Step

1. 1. Consultation and Search (1–2 days)
• • Client provides trademark name, logo, and industry
• • Agency performs trademark search (checking similarity and distinctiveness)
• • Issues search report and registration advice
2. 2. Material Preparation (3–5 days)
• • Company provides business license copy (with company seal)
• • Individuals provide ID copy + individual business license
• • Trademark artwork (clear JPG format; black-and-white versions are easier to approve)
3. 3. Application Submission (1–3 business days)
• • Online submission to Trademark Office system
• • Receive application number (trackable on official website)
4. 4. Formal Examination (1 month)
• • Office reviews completeness and format
• • Corrections requested if materials insufficient (agency assists)
5. 5. Substantive Examination (4–6 months)
• • Check for prohibited marks and similarity to prior marks
• • Pass: proceed to publication; Fail: issue rejection notice
6. 6. Preliminary Publication (3 months)
• • Opposition period; third parties can file oppositions
• • Agency monitors oppositions and assists defense
7. 7. Registration and Certificate Issuance (1 month)
• • No oppositions or oppositions dismissed: trademark approved
• • Registration certificate issued and sent to client by agency

5.2 Agency Roles at Each Stage

• • Search stage: Provide professional similarity judgments (not just system searches)
• • Examination stage: Promptly communicate correction/rejection notices, propose solutions
• • Opposition stage: Draft defense arguments and submit rebuttal evidence
• • Post-registration: Remind renewal (valid for 10 years, renewal due 12 months prior)

VI. Trademark Registration Review: How Agencies Assist

6.1 When to Request Review

If a trademark is rejected (e.g., for “lack of distinctiveness” or “similarity to prior marks”), a review request can be filed within 15 days of notice. Agencies help by:

• • Analyzing rejection reasons (absolute vs. relative grounds)
• • Collecting evidence (e.g., usage proving distinctiveness)
• • Drafting review statement emphasizing uniqueness

Example: “Xiao Guan Cha” trademark was rejected for lacking distinctiveness; agency submitted extensive sales data proving acquired distinctiveness, and review succeeded.

6.2 Review Process and Agency Service

1. 1. Agency issues analysis report within 3 days after rejection
2. 2. Confirm review with client and collect supplementary evidence (sales contracts, invoices)
3. 3. Prepare and submit review request within 10 days
4. 4. Monitor Trademark Review and Adjudication Board (TRAB) progress (9–12 months)
5. 5. Advise client after decision (if rejection upheld, consider administrative litigation)

VII. Application of Priority Principle in Trademark Registration

7.1 Benefits of Priority

Applicants who first file abroad have 6 months to file domestically claiming priority, with the domestic filing date considered as the foreign first filing date, preventing third-party registrations in the interim.

Example: A German company filed “Berlin Bear” trademark in Germany in January 2023, then in China in June 2023. Priority claims made Chinese filing date retroactive to January, blocking a February Chinese registration attempt by others.

7.2 Agency’s Role

• • Remind client to claim priority (avoid expiration)
• • Prepare priority documents (notarized and authenticated)
• • Correctly fill in first filing country, date, and application number

VIII. Frequently Asked Questions

1. 1. How much does trademark registration agency service cost?
   Official fee 300 RMB (up to 10 goods/services), agency fee 500–1500 RMB; total 800–1800 RMB typical. Prices too low (e.g., 500 RMB all-in) may hide fees; too high (>3000 RMB) require service clarification.
2. 2. Which agency is good for trademark registration?
   Check official registration, >5 years experience

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