Opinions on Several Issues Concerning Service Trademark Protection
(issued by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce on March 30 1999)
These opinions on the several issues concerning service trademark protection are expressly set forth below with a view to effectively implementing the Trademark Law and ensuring the protection of exclusive service trademark right:
1.A service trademark is a symbol that a service provider uses to distinguish its service from that provided by another operator.
A service trademark is composed of word, device or their combination.
2.The related provisions of the Trademark Law and its Implementing Regulations governing acts infringing trademarks of goods also apply to service trademarks; the principles judging the similarity of goods and trademarks of goods also apply to services and service trademarks.
3.Similar services refer to those that have related purpose, manner and object of service or those that are specially associated.
Similar service trademarks refer to those that are apt to create confusion on the part of consumers in respect of the origin of services owing to their pronunciation, form and meaning of words, the composition and color of devices or the general composition of words and devices compared with those of registered trademarks.
4.Where acts of service and goods used to provide the service are specifically related, the service is deemed similar to the goods used to provide the service.
5.The following acts are ones of infringement upon service trademarks
(1)Using, without authorization, service trademarks identical with or similar to others' service trademarks for identical or similar services;
(2)Using, without authorization, words identical with or similar to others' service trademarks as names of service for identical or similar services in such a manner as to create confusions;
(3)Counterfeiting, making, without authorization, signs of service trademarks or selling signs of others' service trademarks that are counterfeited or made without authorization:
The acts mainly refer to counterfeiting, making, without authorization, goods (e.g. tableware in restaurant and beverage industry) bearing signs of others' service trademarks
used within the service industry or selling such goods that are counterfeited or made without authorization;
(4)Using advertisement, mass media or other means that guides consumption, or using, without authorization, service trademarks identical with or similar to others' service trademarks so as to create confusions;
(5)Deliberately making available convenient conditions to infringers by providing them with places, tools, auxiliary equipment and service staff to execute infringing acts and introducing clients (consumers); or doing so for infringers to warehouse, transport, post and hide goods bearing signs of service trademarks.
6.Acts impairing others' exclusive trademark rights that are not made clear in Article 38(1) to (3) of the Trademark Law and Rule 41 of the Implementing Regulations thereof are the trademark-infringing acts defined in Article 38(4) of the former.
The impairment of others' exclusive service trademark right includes possibility of impairment.
7.Using service trademarks in the following circumstances is deemed the use of service trademarks:
(1)Places of service;
(2)Signboards of service;
(3)Tools of service;
(4)Cards, postcards and presents, etc. bearing service trademarks for service use;
(5)Business transaction instruments, account books, invoices and contracts, etc. bearing service trademarks;
(6)Advertisements and other promotional materials; and
(7)Other articles used to provide service.
Others' normal use of symbols commonly used in the service industry and normal use of business names (shop names), names geographic names, names of place of service to indicate special features of a service and to explicate items of service do not constitute acts of infringement upon service trademarks, except that intention of unfair competition is obviously identifiable.
8.Acts of infringement upon others' service trademarks that are well-known to a degree and acts of infringement two or more times upon others' exclusive service trademarks right shall be deemed acts subject to serious punishment.
9.Illegal business turnover from infringement of service trademarks is one made by infringing acts in the period of infringement. In normal situations, the amount of money made by acts of using, without authorization, trademarks identical with or similar to others' service trademarks in service is illegal business turnover.
Where there exits only an act of advertisement, without execution of service, the illegal business turnover shall be computed on the basis of the advertisement fee; where there are only bills relating to acts of provision of service, without corresponding evidence to the execution of the service, illegal business turnover shall be computed on the basis of the amount of the bills.
10.The evidence on the basis of which illegal business turnover is computed includes:
(1)Contracts;
(2)Account books;
(3)Invoices;
(4)Advertisements; and
(5)Other evidence.
关于保护服务商标若干问题的意见 （商标[1999]12号）
各省、自治区、直辖市及计划单列市工商行政管理局： 为有效执行《商标法》，切实保护服务商标专用权，现就服务商标保护的若干问题明确如下意 见：
一、服务商标是指提供服务 的经营者，为将自己提供的服务与他人提供的服务相区别而使用的标志。 服务商标由文字、图形或者其组合构成。
二、《商标法》及《商标法实施细则》关于商品商标侵权行为的 有关规定同样适用于服务商标；判断商品类似和商品商标近似的原则同样适用于服务和服务商标。
三、类似服务是指在服务的目的、方式、对象等方面相关，或者存在着特定联系的服务。 近似服务商标是指在文字的发音、字形、含义或者图形的构图及颜色或者文字与图形的整体结构上，与注册商标相比较，易使消费者对服务来源产生误认的服务商 标。
四、服务行为与提供该服务 所使用的商品之间存在特定的联系的，该服务与为提供该服务所使用的商品视为类似。
五、下列行为，属于服务商标侵权行为： （一）在相同或者类似服务上，擅自使用与 他人服务商标相同或者近似的服务商标的； （二）在相同或者类似服务上，擅自将与他人服务商标相同或者近似的文字作为服务名称使用，并足以造成 误认的； （三）伪造、擅自制造他人服务商标标识或者销售伪造、擅自制造的他人服务商标标识的； 上述行为主要是指伪造、擅自制造或 者销售伪造、擅自制造的该服务行业所使用的、带有他人服务商标标识的物品（如餐饮业的餐具等）； （四）利用广告、宣传媒介或者其他引导消费的 手段，擅自使用与他人服务商标相同或者近似的服务商标，并足以造成误认的； （五）故意为侵权人实施侵权行为提供场所、工具、辅助设备、服务人 员、介绍客户（消费者）等便利条件的；或者为侵权人提供仓储、运输、邮寄、隐匿带有服务商标标识的物品等便利条件的。
六、《商标法》第３８条（１）至（３）项以及《商标法实施细 则》第４１条未予明确的给他人商标专用权造成损害的行为，属于《商标法》第３８条第（４）项所述的商标侵权行为。 给他人服务商标专用权造成的 损害包括损害的可能性。
七、在 下列情形中使用服务商标，视为服务商标的使用： （一）服务场所； （二）服务招牌； （三）服务工具； （四）带有服务商标的名片、明信片、赠品等服务用品； （五）带有服务商标的账册、发票合同等商业交易文书； （六）广告及其他宣传 用品； （七）为提供服务所使用的其他物品； 他人正常使用服务行业惯用的标志，以及以正常方式使用商号（字号）、姓名、地名、服务 场所名称，表示服务特点，对服务事项进行说明等，不构成侵犯服务商标专用权行为，但具有明显不正当竞争意图的除外。
八、侵犯他人具有一定知名度的服务商标的行为，以及两次以上 侵犯他人服务商标专用权的行为，视为应予从重处理的情节。
九、服务商标侵权的非法经营额主要是指侵权人在侵权期间因侵权行为所产生的经营额。一般情况下，擅自使用与他人服务商标相同或者 近似的商标从事服务行为所产生的金额均为非法经营额。 仅有广告行为，没有履行服务的，以广告费用计算非法经营额；仅有提供服务行为的票据而未 发现相应已履行服务的证据的，以票据数额计算其非法经营额。
十、计算非法经营额的证据包括： （一）合同； （二）会计账簿； （三）发票； （四）广告宣传； （五）其他证据。 国家工商行政管理 局商标局 一九九九年三月三十日