What kind of trademarks cannot be registered?

The following signs shall not be used as trademarks:

(1) those identical with or similar to the State name, national flag, national emblem, national anthem, military flag, army emblem, military anthem, or decorations of the People's Republic of China, etc., and those identical with the name or symbol of a central government department of the State, or with the name of the particular place, or with the name or image of the symbolic building, where a central government department of the State is located;

(2) those identical with or similar to the State name, national flag, national emblem or military flag of a foreign country, etc., unless consent has been given by the government of the country;

(3) those identical with or similar to the name, flag or emblem of an international intergovernmental organization, etc., unless consent has been given by the organization or the public is not likely to be misled by such use;

(4) those identical with or similar to an official sign or hallmark indicating control and warranty, unless authorization has been given;

(5) those identical with or similar to the name or symbol of the Red Cross or the Red Crescent;

(6) those having the nature of discrimination against any nationality;

(7) those having the nature of fraud, being liable to mislead the public about the characteristics of the goods such as the quality or the place of origin; or

(8) those detrimental to socialist morality or customs, or having other unhealthy influences.

(9) The geographical name of an administrative division at or above the county level or a foreign geographical name well-known to the public shall not be used as a trademark, unless the geographical name has another meaning or the geographical name is used as a component part of a collective mark or a certification mark; registered trademarks consisting of or containing geographical names shall continue to be valid.

(10) signs which consist exclusively of the generic names, designs, or model numbers of the goods in respect of which the trademark is used;

(11) signs which consist exclusively of direct indications of the quality, primary raw material, functions, intended purposes, weight, quantity or other characteristics of goods; or

(12) Other signs which are devoid of any distinctive character.

Signs mentioned in the preceding paragraph may be registered as trademarks if they have acquired distinctive character through use and are capable of being readily identified and distinguished.

(13) In case of application for trademark registration on 3D marks, the registration shall not be granted if the figures are generated simply by the nature of the commodities, the commodity figures are needed for technical effects or the figures make the commodities become substantially valuable.

A trademark shall not be registered and its use shall be prohibited when:

(1) the trademark constitutes a reproduction, an imitation, or a translation, of a well-known trademark of another person not registered in China and is likely to create confusion, if the trademark is the subject of an application for registration in respect of goods which are identical or similar to the goods to which the well-known trademark applies.
(2) the trademark constitutes a reproduction, an imitation, or a translation, of a well-known trademark of another person already registered in China and is likely to mislead the public and damage the interests of the owner of the registered well-known trademark, if the trademark is the subject of an application for registration in respect of goods which are not identical or similar to the goods to which the well-known trademark applies.

(3) the agent or representative of the person who is the owner of a trademark applies, without authorization, for the registration of the trademark in his own name and if the owner raises an opposition.

(4) a trademark for which a registration is applied is identical or similar to an early used trademark of another party that is not registered, in respect of the same or similar goods, and where the applicant being of contract, business or other relationship except the relationship referred to in the preceding paragraph, is fully aware of the existence of the trademark owned by the other party, the trademark shall not be registered, if the other party raises an opposition.

(5) it consists of or contains a geographical indication in respect of goods not originating in the region indicated, to such an extent as to mislead the public; however, registrations made in good faith shall continue to be valid.