The Complete Guide to Preparing Trademark Application Materials (Individuals / Enterprises / Specimens)

The core combination of trademark registration materials is: application form + specimen + proof of qualification (+ power of attorney). Different applicants (individual/enterprise), different trademark types (word/device/special signs), and different filing circumstances (priority/portrait/collective and certification marks) each carry additional requirements. This guide breaks down specifications and completion standards one by one, aiming for "everything ready at once, zero corrections."

1. Proof of Applicant Qualification

1.1 Enterprise Applications

• Materials: copy of the business license (affixing the company seal is recommended).
• Requirements: within its validity period with legible information; the applicant name must match the license character for character, including suffixes such as "Co., Ltd." and the full/half-width of brackets.
• Notes: a branch office lacks independent legal-person status and applications are usually filed in the name of the head office; after a company changes its name or relocates, existing trademarks and new application information should be updated in parallel.

1.2 Individual (Natural Person) Applications

• Materials: copy of ID card (signed by the holder) + copy of the individual industrial and commercial household business license; rural contracted land operators may submit the land contract; other natural persons lawfully engaged in business activities submit the corresponding proof of business qualification.
• Requirements: the applicant may be the operator's personal name or the household's trade name; the designated goods should in principle not exceed the business scope.
• Key restriction: a pure natural person without any proof of business qualification will not be accepted—this is the threshold against hoarding.

1.3 Other Entities

Public institutions and social organizations submit legal-person registration certificates; foreign enterprises and individuals submit proof of qualification and a Chinese translation as required, and must generally appoint a lawfully established trademark agency.

2. Trademark Specimen Specifications

2.1 General Specifications

• Format: for online filing, upload an electronic specimen in JPG format.
• Size: length and width both between 5 cm and 10 cm.
• Quality: clear and high-resolution, with sharp contrast between the device and background; no watermarks, borders, QR codes, URLs, or irrelevant elements such as "®" or "Registered Trademark".

2.2 Requirements by Type

• Word marks: legible typeface; where traditional, variant, self-coined, or calligraphic characters are used, note the standard form in the trademark description.
• Device marks: complete composition, with the main features still recognizable when reduced.
• Composite marks: the positional relationship of word and device elements is fixed and the layout cannot be adjusted after filing.
• Color marks: if colors are claimed, submit a color specimen and list the colors in the trademark description; if no colors are claimed, submit a black-and-white specimen and colors may be used freely.
• Three-dimensional marks: submit views that determine the three-dimensional shape, covering at least three sides.
• Color-combination marks: represent the color combination as color blocks with a written explanation.
• Sound marks: submit staff notation or numbered musical notation with a written description, plus an audio sample in the required format.

2.3 Specimen Finalization Discipline

The submitted specimen defines the boundary of the scope of protection, and no substantive content may be changed after filing. Always apply with the final version—do not submit test or draft versions.

3. Item-by-Item Application Form Instructions

1. Applicant name: exactly consistent with the qualification certificate.
2. Applicant address: the address registered on the certificate; a foreign-language address must be accompanied by a Chinese translation.
3. Contact/recipient information: ensure official documents can be served; if an agency is appointed, fill in the agency.
4. Trademark description: describe the mark's constituent elements and meaning; claimed colors, special typefaces, three-dimensional shapes, and sounds are declared here.
5. Class and goods items: first determine the class (Classes 1–45), then select standard names from the Classification of Similar Goods and Services; each class is limited to 10 items with surcharges for extra items. Colloquial or self-coined names are prohibited.
6. Trademark type: tick ordinary/collective/certification as applicable; special types such as three-dimensional, color-combination, and sound marks must be ticked with the corresponding materials attached.
7. Priority claim: if claiming foreign priority, fill in the country, filing date, and application number of the earlier application, and submit the priority documents within the prescribed period.
8. Signature/seal: enterprises affix the company seal and natural persons sign personally; for paper filings the seal imprint must be clear, and for online filings the signed/sealed page is uploaded as required.

4. Power of Attorney (When Appointing an Agency)

• The principal's name must be consistent with the application form and the certificate.
• State the agency's name and the scope of authority.
• Complete signatures and seals: seal for enterprises, signature for individuals; missing signatures or seals are a high-frequency correction point.
• Refuse to sign blank powers of attorney to prevent signed/sealed documents from being misused.
• Verify that the agency is recorded with CNIPA.

5. Additional Materials for Special Circumstances

1. Portrait trademarks: applications using another person's portrait (including portraits of deceased celebrities) must include an authorization statement and identity proof from the portrait right holder (or heir).
2. Collective marks: submit proof of qualification (of the group, association, etc.) and the rules for the administration of the collective mark's use.
3. Certification marks: submit proof of qualification, rules for use and administration, and materials demonstrating the capacity to supervise the specific qualities of the goods.
4. Priority: a copy of the first application and its translation, submitted within the prescribed period.
5. Mandatory registration or special industries such as pharmaceuticals and tobacco: provide production and operation qualifications as required by relevant regulations.

6. Material Differences Between Online and Paper Filing

• Online filing: all materials are uploaded electronically (scans/photos must be clear); the official fee is CNY 270 per class; documents are served electronically and acceptance is faster.
• Paper filing: fill in the CNIPA standard form, print it, and submit it in person or by mail after signing/sealing; the official fee is CNY 300 per class. The online channel is recommended.

7. Self-Check Table of High-Frequency Correction Points

Check against this list before submission:

• Applicant name matches the certificate character for character
• Address is the address registered on the certificate
• Specimen is clear, 5–10 cm, free of watermarks and borders
• Whether colors are claimed has been declared in the trademark description
• All goods items use standard names from the Classification
• The number of items per class matches the fee (10 items per class limit)
• Power of attorney is signed/sealed and the name is consistent
• Individual applications attach the household license and the goods stay within the business scope
• Additional materials for special trademark types are complete
• The official fee is fully paid according to the number of classes

8. Archiving Recommendations

After submission, keep: the finalized application form, specimen source file, payment receipt, application number receipt, and Notice of Acceptance. Subsequent examination opinions, gazette pages, and the registration certificate should be archived chronologically to form a complete rights-confirmation file, providing evidentiary support for assignment, renewal, and enforcement.

9. Where to File

If you need to handle the matters above, you can submit a self-service registration application on MyTMBee, and a CNIPA-recorded agent will follow through on the process.