Your agent is the process
A foreign applicant without a residence or place of business in China cannot file directly with CNIPA. That is not a formality — it is Article 18 of the Trademark Law. Your trademark agent is not a courier who uploads your forms. The agent drafts the specification in Chinese, responds to correction notices and office actions within deadlines that do not extend, and represents you in a system that conducts all of its business in Chinese.
Choose the right one and the process is boring, which is what you want. Choose the wrong one and the failure modes are unpleasant: a filing that collapses on a technicality, a deadline nobody watched, fees that quietly multiply, or — the worst case — the agent itself registering your mark in its own name.
China has many trademark agencies. Compare the agency's current CNIPA record, named contacts, written service scope and agreed fees rather than relying on an unreferenced market-wide count.
What the agent actually does
Compare the written scope before comparing prices. An agency may offer the following services together or under separate engagements; confirm which are included in your filing quote:
Pre-filing search and risk assessment. Not just an exact-match lookup — a similarity assessment across the relevant classes and subclasses, including the Chinese reading of your brand name, with a written opinion on registration prospects. This is the single highest-value work in the engagement, because everything downstream depends on it.
Specification drafting. CNIPA reads goods and services descriptions narrowly, and non-standard wording triggers correction notices or limits your protection. Mapping your products onto the right subclass terms is skilled work.
Filing and formal examination handling. If CNIPA issues a correction notice, it comes with a fixed deadline. Someone has to catch it and respond.
Substantive examination representation. If the examiner objects, the argument for your mark is put together by your agent — and if the application is refused, the fifteen-day review window runs through them too.
The rest of the life cycle. Renewals, recordals, oppositions, monitoring. A filing-only shop hands you a certificate and disappears; the relationship you want is one that still answers the phone in year seven.
Red flags, and why some of them are illegal
Guaranteed registration. No legitimate agent can promise an outcome — examination involves subjective judgments by individual examiners, and nobody controls the result. More importantly, promising outcomes is not just a lie, it is unlawful. China's agency supervision rules (Order No. 63, effective 2022) treat promised success rates and hints of abnormal acceleration as deceptive solicitation, punishable under Article 68 of the Trademark Law. An agent who promises you registration is either lying or breaking the rules. Both are disqualifying.
Unclear inclusions and extra charges. Price alone does not establish service quality. Professional fees vary by firm and scope. Check whether the quoted total includes official fees, document preparation, translation, filing and progress tracking, and ask which later events require a separate engagement. MY CNTM offers standard registration at USD 199 per class for up to ten goods or services items, including the official filing fee. Additional items cost USD 10 each. This standard filing package is not an unlimited dispute-handling retainer; refusal review, opposition proceedings and other separately commissioned work require an agreed scope and price. See our service prices.
Credential theatrics. Agencies are registered as firms with CNIPA. China has no national licensing exam for trademark agents comparable to the patent bar, so an individual waving a personal "qualification certificate" is showing you marketing, not credentials.
Entity mismatch. The firm that quoted you, the firm on the contract, the firm on the invoice, and the firm named on the power of attorney should all be the same CNIPA-registered agency. Chains of "our partner will handle the filing" mean nobody accountable is responsible for your deadlines.
Silence after filing. If you cannot get a named contact and a straightforward answer about how progress is reported, assume the correction notice in month two goes unread. Correction notices carry thirty-day deadlines, and a missed publication-period opposition is not recoverable.
Bundles of speculative classes. An agency that pads your quote with classes you will never use is not protecting you — an unused registration becomes cancellable after three years, and you paid for the privilege.
The five-minute verification routine
Before signing anything, this takes minutes and costs nothing.
One — get the exact registered Chinese name and the agency filing number. Not the brand name. The registered entity's Chinese name, exactly as it appears on record.
Two — look the firm up on the China Trademark Network. CNIPA's agency lookup lets you confirm the firm exists, is currently valid, and matches the name you were given. If the search returns nothing, the entity cannot lawfully represent you. Do not accept "our partner will file" — verify the partner instead.
Three — match the paperwork. The power of attorney, the commission contract, and the invoice should all name the same registered agency you just verified.
Four — check for penalties. CNIPA discloses agency penalties. A record of falsified documents or deceptive solicitation is disqualifying; minor remediated issues are a judgment call, but you want to be the one making it.
Five — read the fee structure. An itemised quote and an all-inclusive package can both be transparent. Obtain a written total, confirmation of whether official fees are included, the services covered, and the circumstances that trigger additional charges. A package does not need to split its official and professional fee components to explain what you are buying.
Questions worth asking before you sign
Five questions separate professionals from filing shops quickly.
- Is your firm itself the CNIPA-registered agency that will file my application, or does a partner firm do that?
- Does the total include official fees, and can you confirm the included services and any additional charges in writing?
- If CNIPA issues a correction notice or an office action, is responding included, and what does it cost if not?
- Who is my contact, and how will I know if something time-sensitive arrives?
- Will you provide a written China trademark search and risk report before I pay for filing?
The answers tell you what kind of firm you are dealing with. A firm that gives you the risk report before taking your filing fee is aligned with you; a firm that wants the fee first and promises everything is aligned with itself.
Frequently asked questions
Do I really need a Chinese trademark agent, or can I file myself?
A foreign applicant without a habitual residence or place of business in China must file through a Chinese trademark agency under Article 18 of the Trademark Law. Even for applicants who could file directly, the specification drafting and deadline management are done in Chinese, so using an agent is the practical route for nearly everyone.
How do I check whether a China trademark agency is properly registered?
Ask for the firm's exact registered Chinese name and filing number, then search it on the China Trademark Network's agency lookup. The record should be valid and match the entity on your power of attorney, contract and invoice.
Is a "guaranteed registration" offer ever legitimate?
No. Promised outcomes are unlawful deceptive solicitation under China's agency supervision rules, and no agent controls examination results. A firm making this promise is either misleading you or breaching the rules it is licensed under.
Why are some agencies so much cheaper than others?
Firms set their professional fees commercially and scope their services differently. A lower price does not by itself show poor quality, and a higher price does not guarantee a result. Compare the written inclusions, exclusions, contact arrangements and charges for later proceedings.
What should a proper engagement contract include?
A written commission contract stating the services, scope, total price, whether official fees are included, and when additional charges apply; a named point of contact; and undertakings on confidentiality and against registering your mark in the agency's own name. Either itemised fees or a clearly described all-inclusive package can meet the pricing requirement.
How much should I expect to pay for one class?
MY CNTM's standard registration price is USD 199 per class, covering up to ten goods or services items and including official fees. Additional items are USD 10 each. A preliminary availability search is free; in-depth clearance work and dispute proceedings are separately quoted when needed. Other firms may offer different scopes and prices, so compare written proposals rather than treating any market range as a minimum.
Can my agent register my brand name for itself?
The Trademark Law prohibits an agent from registering the principal's mark without authorisation, and current rules forbid agencies from taking bad-faith filings in the names of their owners, shareholders or employees. Verify the firm's record and penalty history before signing.
Related reading
The right agent makes a first-to-file system easier to manage. For a written proposal explaining the total price, included work and any separately quoted services, send us your brand name and product list.
Related guidance for overseas owners
See Foreign Applicant or Chinese Subsidiary: Who Owns and Files the China Trademark? for a focused explanation based on the 2021 Guidelines, with source references and checks against later official material.