According to data released recently by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce of China (SAIC), China received 2.87 million plus applications for trademark registration in 2015, up 25.85% from the previous year, and the number of valid trademark registrations in China has grown to over 10.34 million as of the end of 2015.
In terms of administrative enforcement, the Chinese authorities filed and investigated 50,834 infringement and counterfeiting cases during the year, of which 27,379 were trademark-related; and concluded 47,349 cases of the said type, of which 19,802 were trademark-related.
As mentioned by SAIC deputy director Mr. Liu Junchen at the press briefing for the release of the data, while China has led the world in the number of trademark applications for 14 years in a row, the authorities saw the need to step up efforts in the aspects of elevating the global competitiveness of local brands, streamlining the registration process, cracking down on pre-emptive trademark registrations, as well as maintaining fair market and consumption environments, so that protection for the legitimate rights and interests of the trademark owners and consumers can be further enhanced.