Introduction China has completed the most consequential rewrite of its Trademark Law in over a decade. On June 26, 2026, the 23rd Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Fourteenth National People's Congress adopted a comprehensive revision of the Trademark Law of the People's Republic of China — the fifth amendment since the law was first enacted in 1982, and the first substantive overhaul since the narrow 2019 revision. The revised law, comprising 87 articles across nine chapters (up from 73 articles in eight chapters under the outgoing law), will enter into force on January 1, 2027. Trademarks registered before that date remain valid. For brand owners, in-house counsel, and IP practitioners with China exposure, this is not a routine update. The revision touches registration standards, opposition timelines, well-known mark protection, damages calculations, and — perhaps most significantly — the treatment of bad-faith and speculative filings that have long troubled foreig...
India Registers Its First Olfactory (Smell) Trademark: A Historic Milestone in Non-Conventional Trademark Protection
Summary The Indian Trade Marks Registry made history by accepting the country's first olfactory (smell) trademark - a rose-like floral fragrance infused into tyres by Sumitomo Rubber Industries - marking a paradigm shift in Indian trademark law by recognizing non-conventional intangible marks beyond traditional words, logos, shapes, colours, and sounds. A Historic First for Indian Trademark Law On November 21, 2025, the Indian Trade Marks Registry achieved a historic milestone by accepting India's first olfactory (smell) trademark: "a rose-like floral fragrance infused into tyres" filed by Sumitomo Rubber Industries. This landmark decision opens an entirely new dimension in Indian intellectual property law, recognizing that trademark protection extends beyond conventional sensory marks such as words, logos, shapes, colours, and even sounds, to encompass intangible non-conventional marks like scent. The acceptance of this olfactory mark represents a significant e...