Protection of Non-Traditional Trademarks in China

The paper attempts to investigate the issue of the protection of non-traditional trademarks in the People’s Republic of China that is ranked first in the number of registered trademarks in the world. The author analyzes the national legislation on the registration of trademarks that permits the registration of such types of non-traditional trademarks as sound, color combination and a three-dimensional designation, as well as judicial practice on appealing decisions of the National Trademark Office of China to refuse registration of three-dimensional, color and sound trademarks. The author determines the criteria for the protection of non-traditional trademarks, analyzes their application to each type of such marks. The paper highlights the main problems of registration of non-traditional trademarks in China. A conclusion is drawn about the need to improve legal, including international, regulation to stabilize and simplify the protection of non-traditional trademarks in the world.

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