Beijing Sanyou Intellectual Property Agency
Firm overview:
Recognised for the high calibre of its patent and trademark services, Beijing Sanyou Intellectual Property Agency has built up a strong reputation among domestic and international clients since its founding in 1986.
The firm was one of the first private patent firms to be approved by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), and has been operating its trademark agency since 1996. Today, Beijing Sanyou serves clients across Europe, the US and Asia, with a multidisciplinary team of experts.
Beijing Sanyou assists with non-contentious matters such as trademark registration and counselling, and also offers expertise in dispute resolution. It is an active member of the International Trade Association (INTA).
Team overview:
Beijing Sanyou’s trademark team comprises over 40 trademark attorneys, attorneys-at-law and search and analysis experts.
Trademark specialists at the firm include partner Sun Qinghua, who has particular expertise in trademark prosecution work. Sun has successfully guided clients through many trademark transfer negotiations, helping clients secure their rights in China.
Partner Yan (Shirley) Fu’s practice covers the full spectrum of matters relating to trademark searching, registration, oppositions, invalidations and more. Fu is particularly experienced in representing European, US, Japanese and Korean clients, and advises on administrative and infringement litigation.
Key matters:
- SwissTulle: Successfully secured extended trademark protection in China
Beijing Sanyou represented SwissTulle, the largest manufacturer of bobbinet tulle in the world, in a trademark matter. SwissTulle applied for extended trademark protection in China for goods in class 24 and services in class 40 for ‘Swissbobbinet及图’, which was initially rejected by the CNIPA.
The CNIPA pointed to the mark containing the word ‘Swiss’, which is similar to ‘Switzerland’ and cannot be registered without permission, and said that ‘bobbinet’ may be a descriptive term, lacking distinctiveness.
Beijing Sanyou’s team advised SwissTulle to submit a notarised Swiss government consent letter clarifying its official authorisation to use the term. The team also argued that the term ‘bobbinet’ did not have a universal meaning in China, and was not understood by the public as a product name or description.
Following a review of the rejection, the CNIPA granted extended protection of the mark in China. The case was recognised as one of the ‘Top 10 Typical Cases of Trademark Non-litigation in Beijing’ in 2024 by the Beijing Trademark Association.
Clients:
SwissTulle
