Arnaud: Trademark protection in Hong Kong and Mainland China

Arnaud is a family-owned meat processing company based in France. For various reasons, the SME’s China market entry plans had to be postponed until 2023 when Arnaud attended the China International Import Expo in Shanghai, with full protection of their trademark. During the trade fair, Arnaud met the IP Business Advisor of China IP SME Helpdesk. The IP Business Advisor helped to check the status of Arnaud’s trademarks and realised that the trademarks in mainland China and Hong Kong would expire in 2024 and 2025 respectively. The Helpdesk also recommended that Arnaud record their registered trademarks with the General Administration of Customs (GAC). This recordal is not mandatory but can be very helpful because the Chinese customs can detain imported and exported counterfeits.