On 7 April 2020 the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) issued the new Administrative Measures for the Use of Special Marks Reserved for Geographical Indications (GIs) (Trial).

The special mark reserved for GIs (see Figure 1) is an official mark for consumers to verify GI-protected products in China and can be used by:

  • authorised producers;
  • members affiliated with rights holders of GI collective trademarks;
  • licensees of a GI certification trademark; and
  • other parties subject to CNIPA recordal and publication.

Figure 1

According to the new administrative measures, rights holders of foreign GIs or producers of foreign GI-protected products can apply to the CNIPA to use the special mark. The new measures explicitly provide that foreign GI-protected products which use the special mark must also indicate the unified social credit code of the authorised Chinese dealer.