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...
Bombay High Court Holds Mere Website Posting Does Not Constitute Valid Communication of Examination Report Under Rule 38(4)
The Bombay High Court has held that mere posting of an examination report or objection notice on the Trade Marks Registry's website does not amount to valid "communication" of such objection to the applicant, as mandated under Rule 38(4) of the Trade Marks Rules, 2002. The Court held that, at the highest, such posting can be treated as having communicated the objection only on the date on which the applicant actually notices it on the website. Consequently, where an applicant applies for a hearing within one month of acquiring such actual knowledge, the application cannot be deemed to have been abandoned for failure to seek a hearing under Rule 38(5). Brief Facts On October 1, 2010, the petitioner applied for registration of the mark "CMA" in Class 41. On March 30, 2011, the petitioner wrote to the Registry, noting that despite repeated inquiries, it had received no response regarding its application, and that this delay was preventing it from offering train...