Expert Support

WeChat or Email

Choose your preferred channel

China Trademark Licence Recordal

A licence agreement binds the parties the moment it is signed. Recording it at the CNIPA is what makes it stand up against everybody else.

$99 all-inclusive

Record a Licence

Binding on signature

No recordal needed between the parties

Against third parties

An unrecorded licence cannot be asserted

Published

On the CNIPA register once filed

USD 99

All-inclusive, official fee included

What a Chinese trademark licence recordal involves

Licensing a Chinese trademark is a contract between two parties, and like any contract it binds them as soon as it is signed. Recording the licence with the CNIPA is a separate step, and it is not what makes the agreement valid. What it decides is whether the licence binds anyone else. The law is explicit: a trademark licence that has not been recorded cannot be asserted against a good-faith third party.

That distinction has real consequences in a register-based system. A Chinese trademark can be assigned or further licensed while your licence sits unfiled. If the new owner, or a second licensee, had no notice of your rights, an unrecorded licence is at risk of simply not counting. Recording puts your interest on the public register, which is the whole point of a register.

There are three commercial shapes a licence usually takes, and the recordal reflects whichever the contract creates: an exclusive licence, under which even the owner may not use the mark; a sole licence, under which the owner may use it but may not license anyone else; and an ordinary licence, under which the owner may keep using and licensing the mark. The CNIPA records what the contract says — which is why the agreement has to be clear before it is filed.

Two obligations travel with a licence and are worth knowing about. The licensor must supervise the quality of the goods the licensee puts the mark on, and the licensee must maintain that quality; under the revised Trademark Law the licensor also gains a right to terminate the contract if the licensee fails in that duty. And licensed goods must carry the licensee’s name and place of origin — a labelling rule, but one that surfaces in quality and customs disputes when it has been ignored.

What the $99 recordal fee covers

Contract review before filing We check that the agreement identifies the mark, the classes, the term and the type of licence clearly enough for the CNIPA to record without objection.

Preparation and translation The recordal application and a Chinese translation of the licence terms as the filing requires, prepared together so the parties do not have to coordinate separately.

Filing with the CNIPA Submitted on behalf of the licensor, with the examiner’s requests handled and the recordal confirmed to you.

Publication details Once recorded, the licence is published on the register. We send you the entry so you have evidence of your recorded position.

Changes over the life of the licence If a party changes name or the licence ends early, we handle the recordal of the change or termination — the register should reflect the real position.

English-language handling One point of contact in English for licensor and licensee, including where they are in different countries.

The fee is all-inclusive for the standard scope above: the CNIPA official fee is already inside the price and is never billed separately.

How the recordal runs

Send us the licence details

The registration number, the parties, the classes and goods covered, the term, and whether the licence is exclusive, sole or ordinary. The signed agreement if there is one already.

We check it against the register

We confirm the licensor is the registered owner, that the classes in the licence match the registration, and that nothing in the terms would invite an objection.

We file the recordal

The application and the translated licence extracts go to the CNIPA. Where a name change is needed first, we say so before filing rather than after.

The licence appears on the register

Once recorded and published, the licence is on the record. We send you the entry, and we handle the change or termination recordal later if the relationship changes.

Licence recordal fees

All fees are quoted in writing before anything is payable.

Item	Fee	What it covers
Recordal of a trademark licence	USD 99	Contract review, preparation and translation of the recordal, filing and follow-up to publication. All-inclusive.
Change of licensor or licensee name	USD 99	Where a party has changed its name during the term, the record can be updated so the register matches the contract.
Recordal of early termination	USD 99	If the licence ends before its term, recording the termination keeps the register accurate and avoids a stale entry being relied on.
Assignment instead, if the mark is being sold	USD 199	Where the intended result is a change of owner rather than a licence, the transfer is recorded as an assignment.

Every price above is all-inclusive — the CNIPA official fees are already inside the quoted amounts and are never billed separately.

The recording requirements described on this page were checked on 2026-10-01. Requirements can change, and the rules in force at the time your recordal is filed apply.

What you need to record a licence

A licence recordal needs the contract, the parties and the registration. Nothing has to be notarized — clean scans are enough.

The licence agreement Signed by both parties, or a draft if the recordal is being prepared alongside the contract. It should identify the registration, the goods and services, the term and the type of licence.

The registration number The Chinese registration being licensed. If the licensor holds several registrations for the same mark, the recordal has to identify which ones are covered.

The parties’ details Full legal names and addresses of licensor and licensee, as they appear in their incorporation documents. Mismatches between the agreement and the company documents are the usual cause of a delay.

Signed Power of Attorney The licensor files the recordal, and a licensor without a business presence in China must act through a CNIPA-registered agent. We send our standard form — a plain signed scan is enough, no notarization.

Recordal of a Chinese Trademark Licence — common questions

Do I have to record a trademark licence in China?

Not for the licence to work between you and the licensee — the contract binds the parties from signature. You record it so that it binds third parties: an unrecorded licence cannot be asserted against a good-faith third party, which matters if the mark is later assigned, seized or licensed to somebody else.

What is the difference between an exclusive, sole and ordinary licence?

An exclusive licence leaves even the owner unable to use the mark; a sole licence lets the owner use it but bars licensing anyone else; an ordinary licence leaves the owner free to use and license the mark. The CNIPA records what the contract provides, so the agreement has to say clearly which one it is.

Can the licensor keep using the mark after licensing it?

That depends entirely on the type of licence. Under an exclusive licence the licensor gives up its own use; under a sole or ordinary licence it keeps it. Because the register will show whichever the contract creates, this is worth settling before the agreement is signed.

How long does a recordal take?

Straightforward recordals with a clear contract are normally recorded within a few months. Where the agreement is vague about the classes or the licence type, the examiner may ask questions, which is why we review the contract before filing rather than after.

What has to appear on goods sold under licence?

Licensed goods must carry the licensee’s name and place of origin. It is a labelling requirement rather than a registration point, but it is one that surfaces in quality complaints and customs matters when it has been overlooked.

What if the licence ends early?

The termination can be recorded so that the register reflects the position. Leaving a stale licence entry in place is not fatal, but it is misleading to anyone searching the register — including a future assignee of the mark.

Licensing a Chinese trademark?

Send us the registration number and the licence terms. We check the contract, tell you what the CNIPA will want to see, and quote the recordal in writing. Nothing is payable before you approve.

Prefer the full form? Tell us the details and get a quote · Read our FAQ