On April 13, the China National Intellectual Property Administration ("CNIPA") released the Circular on Continuing to Severely Combat Malicious Trademark Registration (the "Circular").

The Circular sets forth requirements in eight aspects, such as "stressing the key tasks to crack down on typical behaviors", "enhancing monitoring and early warning to realize precise identification", and "strengthening systematic governance and lawfully imposing severe punishments". The Circular calls for greater attention to the concerns of the people and the focus of public opinions. Based on the several circumstances of malicious trademark registration without serving the purpose of use as specified in the Guide on Trademark Examination and Adjudication, efforts shall be made to strengthen the measures against the behaviors of trademark speculation and squatting, which mainly manifest in the form of "hoarding trademarks", "impersonating famous brands", "making free-ride registration" and "latching on to hotspot issues", and to combat 10 typical types of illegal behaviors which violate the principle of good faith, public order and good customs, seek improper gain, and disrupt the order of trademark registration, including "maliciously registering trademarks with the words specially used in major sensitive events and emergencies, such as major public health events".

(Source: China National Intellectual Property Administration)