The 10th edition of the International (Nice) Classification of Goods and Services for the purposes of the registration of trade marks comes into effect on 1 January 2012. China Trademark Office has announced the adoption of the 10th edition of Nice Classification. Lehman, Lee & Xu’s Trademark Attorneys now are following up the new edition in our daily work as from Jan. 1, 2012.
LEHMAN, LEE & XU’s trademark services include a holistic approach to problem solving. As a full-service firm, we counsel our clients with their entire business strategies in mind, bringing in team members who specialize in taxation, administrative regulation, asset valuation or other areas as needed. We handle trademarks from “cradle to grave” and cover everything from registration and initial strategies through enforcement and assignments/transfers. We assist our clients in the selection and clearance of appropriate trademarks, prosecution of trademark applications in China and abroad and maintaining and enforcing our clients’ trademark portfolios. All of our trademark attorneys are licensed with the China Trademark Office. Our attorneys handle numerous proceedings, such as non-use cancellations, revocations, oppositions, re-examinations, pledges, and well-known trademark petitions before the China Trademark Office and other regulatory bodies as well as enforcing trademark, trade dress, unfair competition and related claims in judicial, quasi-judicial and administrative actions. Our trademark attorneys are also involved in all aspects of transactional trademark work, including negotiating and drafting licensing, distribution and franchise agreements. We regularly advise and counsel our clients in the acquisition and sale of trademark portfolios and individual brands, including as part of larger merger transactions. Our trademark clients range from small international trading companies to large multi-national corporations.
Some classifications have changed. For example, dietary and nutritional supplements are now classified in class 5 (previously classes 29 and 30); nappies will now fall in class 5 (previously 16 and 25); and game consoles of all types now fall in class 28 (previously “games (apparatus for —) adapted for use with an external display screen or monitor” were in class 9).