Opinions on Resolution of Several Issues Concerning Trademarks and Enterprise Names
(issued by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce on April 5 1999)
With a view to effectively implementing the Trademark Law and the related regulations on registration and administration of enterprise names, to ensuring the protection of exclusive trademark right and right of enterprise names and to safeguarding the order of fair competition and public interests, the opinions are hereby expressly set forth as follows on the resolution of the several issues concerning trademarks and enterprise names: 1.The exclusive trademark right and the right of enterprise names are both rights established by legal procedures and protected respectively by the laws and regulations on trademark and registration and administration of enterprise names.
2.The exclusive trademark right and the right of enterprise names shall be acquired in accordance with the principle of honesty and good faith set out in the General Principles of the Civil Law and the Anti-Unfair Competition Law, without committing unfair competition by making use of the reputation of another's trademark and enterprise name.
3.A trademark is a symbol composed of word, device or their combination and used to distinguish origins of different goods or services; an enterprise name is a sign composed of administrative division, shop name, business or operation feature and form of organization with the shop name being the key mark distinguishing different enterprises, and used to set apart the different subjects of the market.
4.The identicalness and similarity of the word in a trademark and the shop name in an enterprise name create confusion (including the possibility to confuse, same as below) on the part of others regarding the subjects of the market and origins of their goods or services, and, consequently, constitute unfair competition and this shall be stopped according to law.
5.The confusions as stated in the preceding paragraph mainly include the following circumstances: (1)Registration, as a trademark, a word identical with or similar to the shop names in others' enterprise names causes the related public to mistake or confuse the enterprise name owner with the trademark applicant; and (2)Registration, as a shop name in an enterprise name, a word identical with or similar to another's registered trademark causes the related public to mistake or confuse the trademark registrant with the enterprise name owner.
6.The confusion of a trademark and an enterprise name shall be handled by applying to the principles of maintaining fair competition and protecting the interests of the prior lawful right holders.
7.Handling cases of confusion of trademark and enterprise name shall meet these conditions: (1)The trademark and the enterprise name have got confused, which impairs the lawful rights and interests of a prior rightholder; (2)The trademark has been registered and the enterprise name put on record; and (3)A request (including one raised, but
unresolved) has been filed within the five years from the date of trademark registration or putting on record of enterprise name, but with exclusion to registration or putting on record in bad faith.
8.Where they think that their own rights and interests are impaired, trademark registrants or enterprise name owners may file written complaints with the state or provincial administrations for industry and commerce, together with related evidence of impairment of their rights and interests.
9.Where a case of confusion of a trademark with an enterprise name occurs in the same provincial administrative region, it shall be dealt with by the administration for industry and commerce of the province. If it is a case involving more than one provincial administrative region, it is handled by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC). Cases in which protection of exclusive trademark right is claimed are handled by the enterprises registration departments of the administration for industry and commerce at or above provincial level. Where an enterprise name should be changed, after the competent department handles the case together with the administrative authority for trademark affairs according to the provisions relating to the registration and administration of enterprise names, the name shall be changed with the approval by the competent authority for enterprise names and submitted, for filing, to the Trademark Office and the Enterprise Registration Office of SAIC. Cases in which protection of the right of enterprise names is claimed are handled by the administrative authority for trademark affairs under the administration for industry and commerce at or above provincial level. Where registered trademarks should be invalidated, opinions shall be raised by the competent authority and submitted, for decision, to the Trademark Office of SAIC, and the Trademark Office of SAIC shall deal with the matter together with the department in charge of enterprise registration according to the relevant provisions of the Trademark Law and its Implementing Regulations.
10.Acts of using trademarks or enterprise names in violations of the related provisions regulating the administration of trademarks and the registration administration of enterprise names and creating confusions shall be investigated and handled by the administrative authority vested with jurisdiction.
关于解决商标与企业名称中若干问题的意见
为有效执行《商标法》和企业名称登记管理的有 关规定，切实保护商标专用权和企业名称权，维护公平竞争秩序和社会公共利益，现就解决商标与企业名称中的若干问题明确如下意见： 一、商标专用权和企业名称权均是经法定程序确认的权利，分别受商标法律、法规和企业名称登记管理法律、法规保护。 二、商标专用权和 企业名称权的取得，应当遵循《民法通则》和《反不正当竞争法》中的诚实信用原则，不得利用他人商标或者企业名称的信誉进行不正当竞争。 三、商标是区别不同商品或者服务来源的标志，由文字、图形或者其组合构成；企业名称是区别不同市场主体的标志，由行政区划、字号、行业或者经营特点、组 织形式构成，其中字号是区别不同企业的主要标志。 四、商标中的文字和企业名称中的字号相同或者近似，使他人对市场主体及其商品或者 服务的来源产生混淆（包括混淆的可能性，下同），从而构成不正当竞争的，应当依法予以制止。 五、前条所指混淆主要包括： （一） 将与他人企业名称中的字号相同或者近似的文字注册为商标，引起相关公众对企业名称所有人与商标注册人的误认或者误解的； （二） 将与他人注册商标相同或者近似的文字登记为企业名称中的字号，引起相关公众对商标注册人与企业名称所有人的误认或者误解的。 六、处 理商标与企业名称的混淆，应当适用维护公平竞争和保护在先合法权利人利益的原则。 七、处理商标与企业名称混淆的案件，应当符合下列 条件： （一） 商标与企业名称产生混淆，损害在先权利人的合法权益； （二） 商标已注册和企业名称已登记； （三） 自商标注册之日或者企业名称登记之日起五年内提出请求（含已提出请求但尚未处理的），但恶意注册或者恶意登记的不受此限。 八、商标注册人或者企业名称所有人认为自己的权益受到损害的，可以书面形式向国家工商行政管理局或者省级工商行政管理局投诉，并附送其权益被损害的相关证 据材料。 九、商标与企业名称混淆的案件，发生在同一省级行政区域内的，由省级工商行政管理局处理；跨省级行政区域的，由国家工商行 政管理局处理。 对要求保护商标专用权的案件，由省级以上工商行政管理局的企业登记部门承办；对应当变更企业名称的，承办部门会同商标管理部门 根据企业名称登记管理的有关规定作出处理后，交由该企业名称核准机关执行，并报国家工商行政管理局商标局和企业注册局备案。 对要求保护企业名 称权的案件，由省级以上工商行政管理局的商标管理部门承办；对应当撤销注册商标的，由承办部门提出意见后报请国家工商行政管理局商标局决定，国家工商行政 管理局商标局会同企业注册部门根据《商标法》及《商标法实施细则》的有关规定予以处理。 十、违反商标管理和企业名称登记管理有关规 定使用商标或者企业名称产生混淆的，由有管辖权的工商行政管理机关依法予以查处。