The Notice of Acceptance (full title: Notice of Acceptance of Trademark Registration Application) is an official document issued by CNIPA to the applicant after the application materials pass formality examination, confirming that the application has been formally accepted, docketed, and placed into the substantive examination procedure. It is a procedural document: it does not mean the registration application has been approved, and it confers no exclusive trademark right. It is generally issued about one month after the application is filed.
Nature and Position
The Notice of Acceptance corresponds to the formality examination stage. Formality examination checks only "procedural matters": whether the application documents are complete, the entries properly filled in, the specimen clear, the official fee paid, and the applicant's name consistent with the certificate. It involves no substantive judgment on whether the trademark can be registered.
Contents of the Document
It typically states: the application number, filing date, applicant name, trademark specimen, and designated goods/service classes. The application number and filing date are the key information for tracking progress, handling subsequent formalities, and asserting priority of the earlier application.
Three Outcomes of Acceptance
- Acceptance: formality examination is passed and the Notice of Acceptance is issued.
- Correction: where there are curable defects, a correction notice is issued and the applicant corrects within a time limit (usually 30 days); acceptance follows once the corrections are satisfactory.
- Non-acceptance: where there are fundamental defects (e.g., an ineligible applicant or unpaid fees), a notice of non-acceptance is issued and the filing date is not preserved.
Functions and Limitations
What it can do:
- Evidence the filing date and the position of the earlier application.
- Serve as proof of progress for e-commerce onboarding, qualification filing, and business negotiations.
- Work together with the "TM" label to publicly indicate the brand's application status. What it cannot do:
- It does not permit labeling with "®" or "Registered Trademark"—doing so is the illegal act of passing off an unregistered trademark as registered (Article 52 of the Trademark Law).
- It cannot prevail over others' prior rights, nor does it rule out a later refusal.
Service and Query
For online applications, the Notice of Acceptance is served electronically in the CNIPA online service system and can be downloaded and printed; for paper applications it is served by mail. The applicant should ensure the address and contact details on the application form are accurate; where an agency is appointed, documents are forwarded by the agency.
Keeping the Document
The Notice of Acceptance, together with subsequent refusal notices, publication information, and the registration certificate, forms the core documents of the trademark archive. Electronic archiving linked to the application number is recommended, so they can be readily retrieved for later assignment, licensing, renewal, and enforcement.
The application of related concepts in practice involves case-specific nuances; before proceeding, you can consult a CNIPA-recorded agent on MyTMBee for a tailored analysis.