Yaling Zhou
Licensed in China, New York & Connecticut
Led foreign-client work at a Chinese IP firm for over ten years, handling thousands of trademark filings, reviews, oppositions, and disputes.
ZYL Law Firm, a U.S. intellectual property firm in New Haven, Connecticut, coordinates patent, trademark, and copyright protection in China for foreign companies. The team includes lawyers licensed in China and a holder of the PRC patent attorney qualification. Because Chinese law requires foreign applicants to act through a licensed agency, filings are submitted through a licensed Chinese agency we partner with, while ZYL handles the matter in English and reviews the work before filing. Fees are quoted per matter in writing, with Chinese official fees listed separately.
Reviewed by Yaling Zhou (licensed in China, New York, and Connecticut) and Lilan Zhu (PRC patent attorney qualification) · Rules reviewed:
What do you need in China?
TrademarkRegister my brand in ChinaFile before launch, cover the right subclasses, and decide on a Chinese-language brand name.Quoted per matterPatentFile a patent in ChinaInvention, utility model, or design — directly under the Paris Convention or through PCT national phase entry.Quoted per matterEnforcementSomeone registered my mark firstOpposition, invalidation, and non-use cancellation against bad-faith registrations.Quoted per matterEnforcementCounterfeits on Chinese platformsPlatform complaints, customs recordal to stop exports, and administrative or court action.Quoted per matterCopyrightRegister software or creative worksCopyright and software registration certificates that platforms and customs accept as evidence.Quoted per matterU.S. + ChinaExtend my U.S. filings to ChinaOne plan for both countries: PCT national phase, Paris priority, and matching trademark coverage.Quoted per matter
Where China differs from the United States
- Trademarks go to the first filer.China follows a first-to-file system. Use in China does not secure the mark; a bad-faith filing can be challenged, but prevention is far cheaper than an opposition or invalidation.
- Trademark coverage is set by subclass.China examines similarity using its own subclasses within the Nice classes. Goods left outside the covered subclasses are open to others.
- Chinese-language marks need their own filing.The market will give a foreign brand a Chinese name if you do not. Registering a transliteration or translation prevents someone else from owning it.
- China has utility models.Besides invention patents (20 years) and designs (15 years), China grants utility models (10 years) after preliminary examination only — fast protection for product structures.
- PCT entry is due at 30 months.National phase entry in China is due 30 months from priority, extendable to 32 months with a surcharge. Plan it together with U.S. national phase.
- Platforms and customs act on Chinese rights.Chinese e-commerce platforms and customs generally need a right registered in China. Customs can also stop infringing goods at export.
Rules reviewed by the China team; verify current requirements with the official sources below before filing.
How we work
- Who filesChinese filings are submitted through a licensed Chinese patent and trademark agency that we partner with. ZYL Law coordinates the matter in English and reviews the work before filing. Chinese law requires foreign applicants to act through a licensed agency.
- One point of contactInstructions, reporting, and documents in English, from the same U.S. office that can handle your U.S. filings.
- Quality reviewTranslations, claims, and goods descriptions are reviewed before filing, not after an Office Action.
From first email to filing
- Email your matterSend the mark, invention, or work and your target products to ip@zyllaw.com (patents: patent@zyllaw.com).
- Search & conflict checkWe check conflicts and, for trademarks, run a China availability search across the relevant subclasses.
- Written quoteProfessional fees, translation, and Chinese official fees listed separately. Nothing is filed until you approve.
- Filing & updatesThe partner agency files; we report each CNIPA step to you in English.
Who works on your China matter
Lilan Zhu
PRC patent attorney qualification (专利代理师)
Eight-plus years of foreign-related patent practice; handles China patent filings, Office Action responses, and PCT entry into China.
Jingwei Sun
PRC lawyer · California attorney
Tsinghua Law graduate; coordinates Chinese copyright, commercial matters, and litigation counsel.
Tao Wang
Overseas IP consultant
Former GE global patent operations; over 5,000 international IP matters. Advises on portfolio strategy and cross-border enforcement.
Frequently asked questions
Do foreign companies need an agent to file IP in China?
Yes. Under the Chinese Patent Law and Trademark Law, a foreign applicant without a habitual residence or business office in China must appoint a legally established Chinese patent or trademark agency. Our filings are made through a licensed Chinese agency we partner with.
Is my U.S. trademark protected in China?
No. Trademark rights are territorial and China follows a first-to-file system. You need a Chinese registration, either filed directly or through a Madrid designation of China.
Should I register a Chinese-language version of my brand?
Usually yes. Chinese consumers and sellers will refer to your brand in Chinese, and an unregistered Chinese name can be registered by someone else.
What is a Chinese utility model?
A utility model protects the shape or structure of a product for 10 years. It is granted after preliminary examination without substantive examination, so it is usually faster than an invention patent.
When must a PCT application enter China?
Within 30 months from the priority date, or within 32 months with a surcharge for late entry.
How much does China IP protection cost?
Every matter is quoted in writing before work begins. Professional fees, translation, and Chinese official fees are listed separately.
Does ZYL Law practice Chinese law?
No. ZYL Law Firm LLC is a U.S. firm. Chinese filings are submitted through a licensed Chinese agency and Chinese litigation is handled by PRC-licensed lawyers through a Chinese law firm; ZYL coordinates and reviews the work.
Can you also handle my U.S. filings?
Yes. ZYL Law files U.S. patents, trademarks, and copyrights, so one team can plan and coordinate both countries.
Primary sources
- China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA)
- PRC Patent Law and Trademark Law (WIPO Lex, China profile)
- WIPO PCT Applicant's Guide — China (national phase)
Platform rules, deposits, and fees change; confirm against your notice and the current platform rules before acting.
Attorney Advertising. This page is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney–client relationship. ZYL Law Firm LLC is a U.S. law firm and does not practice PRC law. Chinese patent and trademark filings are submitted through a licensed Chinese agency we partner with, and Chinese litigation is handled by PRC-licensed lawyers through a Chinese law firm; ZYL coordinates the matter in English and reviews the work before filing. Fees are quoted per matter in writing, with official and third-party fees listed separately. No one can guarantee how an examiner or court will decide, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Engagement is subject to a conflict check.
Plan your China filings
Tell us your brand, products, or invention and when you plan to enter China. We confirm the conflict check and send a written quote before anything is filed.
Email ip@zyllaw.com Patents: patent@zyllaw.com