Announcement of the State Intellectual Property Office on Adjustments to Trademark Payment Procedures
To implement the requirements of trademark facilitation reform, further simplify the trademark business payment process, promote the electronic reform of fiscal vouchers, and unify the payment methods for various trademark businesses, it has been decided to adjust the relevant matters of the trademark business payment process. The following announcement is hereby made:
I. Setting up a payment notification process
For trademark applications submitted after December 30, 2019, a payment notification process will be added before the acceptance of the application and the subsequent approval of the business, realizing payment after notification. Trademark parties and agencies should pay the trademark fees within 15 days from the date of receipt of the payment notification. The format of the payment notification is shown in the attachment.
II. Using electronic fiscal vouchers
In accordance with the provisions of the Notice of the Ministry of Finance on Unifying the National Fiscal Electronic Voucher Format and the Fiscal Machine-printed Voucher Format (Cai Zong [2018] No. 72), trademark vouchers are uniformly adjusted to national fiscal electronic vouchers, which can be accounted for and reimbursed. After receiving the vouchers, all units should strictly follow the regulations of relevant departments to ensure the authenticity and reliability of the vouchers for accounting, and prevent duplicate accounting and reimbursement.
III. Setting up a payment transition period
The payment transition period is from December 30, 2019 to February 29, 2020. Trademark applications submitted before December 30, 2019, shall apply the original payment rules. After February 29, 2020, for trademark applications that have not completed payment under the original payment rules, our bureau will uniformly issue payment notifications, and the parties and agencies need to pay according to the process of this announcement.
For trademark applications submitted after December 30, 2019, trademark applicants and agencies can pay through the online trademark service system without remittance. Fees already remitted to the Trademark Office, except for those used to pay for trademark applications implemented under the rules before the adjustment, can be applied for a refund from the Trademark Office.
This announcement involves the payment and voucher issuance methods for trademark business. Trademark parties and agencies are requested to carefully read the relevant business application guidelines to avoid affecting the normal handling of trademark business.
This is hereby announced.
Attachment: 1. Payment Notification (Format)
2. Payment Notification for International Trademark Registration (Format)
