The document is the "2025 China Enterprise Overseas Trademark Brand Development Report" compiled by the China Trademark Association and other organizations, focusing on the overseas trademark layout and rights protection of mainland Chinese enterprises from 2015 to 2024. The specific content is as follows:
- Overseas Trademark Layout
- Application Trends: In the past 10 years, the number of overseas trademark applications by mainland Chinese enterprises has surged, reaching over 2.18 million cases, an increase of more than 6.5 times compared to the previous decade, ranking first in the world for consecutive years. The geographical distribution is extensive, with North America having the highest number of applications, and the United States being the core market. Emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and Canada have also seen significant growth in applications. There is a high industry concentration, with Class 9 computer peripherals and electronic products accounting for nearly 20%, firmly ranking first. Class 25 clothing, shoes and hats, and Class 21 kitchen utensils are in the second tier, and the sum of applications for the top categories accounts for more than 74%.
- Central SOE Application Overview: 68 central state-owned enterprises have records of overseas trademark applications, with a total of 9,065 applications, and the number of applications in the past 10 years accounts for 48%. Applications cover 45 categories, with Class 37 construction and repair services, Class 39 transportation and storage services, and Class 12 vehicles ranking at the top. Applications cover 152 countries/regions worldwide, with Brazil, South Africa, and Hong Kong SAR having the most applications.
- Overseas Trademark Dispute Situation
- Number of Cases: In the past 10 years, there have been 54,873 overseas trademark dispute cases, an increase of more than 8 times compared to the previous decade, and the pressure of rights protection has increased.
- Industry Concentration: Dispute cases cover 45 categories, with Class 9, Class 25, and Class 35 ranking in the top three for the number of disputes. Class 42, Class 3, and Class 16 also entered the top ten, indicating fierce competition.
- Cause of Action and Litigation Status: 94% are administrative dispute cases, including opposition, invalidation, and cancellation cases, with administrative cases mainly concentrated in the EU and the US; 5% are judicial dispute cases, with infringement lawsuits accounting for more than 73%, and judicial cases mainly occurring in the US and EU. In infringement cases, mainland Chinese enterprises are mostly defendants, while in invalidation and cancellation administrative litigation, they are mostly plaintiffs.
- Recommendations: Enterprises should plan ahead in high-risk jurisdictions such as Southeast Asia and Latin America, establish a global monitoring mechanism, reserve legal resources, comprehensively sort out trademark asset ledgers, regularly check status, incorporate trademark management into the core of globalization strategy, shift from "passive defense" to "proactive planning" and "active response," reduce legal risks, and achieve brand globalization.
