/>iOn May 22, 2025, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released three administrative penalty decisions permanently suspending three trademarks firms from accepting trademark work. Per Tianyancha (geoblocked) and a court decision, one firm in particular was found to have bribed a CNIPA trademark examiner from 2013 to 2021 totaling 1.29 million RMB. The firm was criminally convicted and fined 100,000 RMB and the illegal gains of 1,382,680 RMB were seized.
A translation of one of the Decisions follows. The original text of the Decisions can be found here, here and here. A screen shot from Tianyancha can be found here courtesy of 知识产权界.
After investigation, it was found that from 2013 to 2021, the party bribed state officials many times in the process of carrying out trademark agency business, asking them to handle trademark examination, trademark information inquiry and other matters, and seeking improper benefits. On December 22, 2023, the People’s Court of Wendeng District, Weihai City, Shandong Province, rendered a criminal judgment （2023）鲁1003刑初31号 in accordance with the law, and found that the party was guilty of corporate bribery.
On March 11, 2025, our office served the party concerned with the “Notice of Administrative Penalty by the State Intellectual Property Office” (State Intellectual Property Office Letter [2025] No. 3), informing the party concerned of the facts, reasons, basis and content of the proposed administrative penalty, and informing the party concerned of the rights they enjoy. After receiving the notice, the party concerned did not make a statement, defense or request for a hearing within the statutory period.
Our bureau believes that the party concerned, as a trademark agency, failed to abide by laws and regulations and operate in good faith, and provided convenience for agency business by bribing trademark registration and management staff, and obtained improper benefits. Moreover, the bribery was frequent, lasted for a long time, and the circumstances were serious, constituting the act of “disrupting the trademark agency market order by other improper means” as stipulated in Article 68, paragraph 1, item (2) of the Trademark Law of the People’s Republic of China. In accordance with Article 68, paragraph 1, item (2) and paragraph 2 of the Trademark Law of the People’s Republic of China, Article 90 of the Regulations for the Implementation of the Trademark Law of the People’s Republic of China, and Article 34, paragraph 1 of the Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Trademark Agencies, the following penalty decision is made:
Permanently stop accepting trademark agency business from Beijing Zhonglian Aizhi Intellectual Property Agency Co., Ltd.
The above-mentioned behavior of the party concerned falls under the provisions of Article 9, Item (2) of the “Administrative Measures for the List of Serious Illegal Dishonesty in Market Supervision and Administration”, “engaging in serious illegal patent and trademark agency behavior”. According to the relevant provisions of Article 2 and Article 12 of the “Administrative Measures for the List of Serious Illegal Dishonesty in Market Supervision and Administration”, it is decided to include Beijing Zhonglian Aizhi Intellectual Property Agency Co., Ltd in the list of serious illegal dishonest companies in Market Supervision and Administration, publicize it through the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System, and implement corresponding management measures. The inclusion period is from May 7, 2025 to May 6, 2028. After one year, the party concerned may apply to our bureau for early removal from the list of serious illegal dishonest companies in accordance with Articles 16 and 17 of the “Administrative Measures for the List of Serious Illegal Dishonesty in Market Supervision and Administration”, stop publicizing relevant information and lift corresponding management measures.
If the parties are dissatisfied with this decision, they may apply for administrative reconsideration to the CNIPA within 60 days from the date of receipt of this decision, or file an administrative lawsuit with the People’s Court with jurisdiction within 6 months from the date of receipt of this decision. During the reconsideration and litigation, the above decision shall not be suspended.
