Yes—and it is a statutory obligation. Article 41 of the Trademark Law provides that where a registered trademark requires a change in the registrant's name, address, or other registered matters, a change application must be filed. After a company rename or relocation, the trademark change should be completed as soon as possible.
Legal Consequences of Not Filing the Change
- Risk to document service: the CNIPA sends response notices, renewal reminders, and the like to the registered address; an invalid address may cause you to miss response and remedy deadlines;
- Administrative liability: under Article 49 of the Trademark Law, where the registrant alters its name or address on its own, the market regulation authority orders correction within a time limit; if correction is not made by the deadline, the CNIPA revokes the registered trademark;
- Enforcement obstacles: in litigation or platform complaints, a mismatch between the entity name and the certificate records requires additional evidence of identity of the entity, increasing the burden of proof.
How to File
A change application can be submitted through the online trademark service system or through a trademark agency. A name change requires a change certificate issued by the registration authority. If you hold multiple trademarks, change them all together to keep all registered matters consistent.
Practical Advice
Make trademark change a standard step in corporate registration changes: once the business license change is completed, initiate the trademark change in parallel to avoid omissions.
In such situations, it is advisable to consult a recorded agent through MyTMBee first to assess whether trademark agency registration is needed before deciding on the next step.