Register trademarks abroad in advance, companies advised

Industry insiders suggested at a seminar on Jan 22 that Chinese companies register their trademarks abroad in advance and make better use of international protocols to build strong brands overseas.

"You need to register your trademarks in the jurisdictions where you plan to be, even if you do not plan to use them, prior to expanding into those markets," J. Scott Evans, president of the International Trademark Association, said at a press conference ahead of the seminar the association hosted in Beijing.

He suggested Chinese companies "have a long-range plan" for overseas trademark protection and "register in any bordered countries" around their manufacturing sites.