The cost of a refusal review consists of two parts: the official fee charged by the CNIPA (RMB 750 per class for paper filings, RMB 675 per class for online filings), and the agency service fee incurred when engaging an agency (typically several thousand yuan in the market, higher for complex cases).
Official Fee
- The official fee standard for a trademark refusal review is RMB 750 per application per class for paper filings, and RMB 675 per class for filings through the online trademark service system.
- For partial refusals, the review fee is likewise charged per class and does not vary with the number of refused goods items.
- Once paid, the official fee is in principle non-refundable regardless of the review outcome.
Agency Fees
There is no unified standard for agency fees; they are mainly affected by the following factors:
- Complexity of the refusal grounds: a straightforward similarity comparison is relatively simple; cases involving distinctiveness argumentation, organizing large volumes of use evidence, or parallel actions against the cited trademark (such as non-use cancellation) entail heavier workloads and correspondingly higher fees.
- Volume of evidence: cases requiring the compilation of years of sales contracts, invoices, and advertising materials as use evidence carry higher preparation costs.
- Professional caliber of the agency: seasoned agents typically charge more for drafting the statement of grounds than ordinary agents.
Is It Worth the Money?
The criterion is actually quite simple: how much is this trademark worth to you? If the trademark is already in use — packaging and materials printed, channels laid out — the cost of a review is far lower than the brand loss from starting over; if the trademark has not yet been launched and the odds of success at review are low, redesigning and refiling may be more economical.
Money-Saving Tips
- If the review fails and you proceed to administrative litigation, first- and second-instance court fees and attorney's fees run to tens of thousands of yuan — conduct a success-rate assessment before deciding, to avoid layer upon layer of investment.
- Some agencies offer success-rate assessment services; you can assess first and then decide whether to pursue a review.
Note: the fee figures in this article are updated as of 2026; if official or service fees are adjusted, the latest public notices of the Trademark Office and the service provider shall prevail.
If you are unsure about the issues above, you may first obtain a refusal review on MyTMBee and act after receiving an analysis from a registered trademark agent.