China’s trademark authority has announced that, from 1 July 2026, trademark matters handled through agencies should in principle be filed electronically through the CNIPA online service system rather than on paper. The change covers filing, examination and official communications, while matters involving electronic evidence must follow the relevant submission guidance.
For agencies, this is more than a change of delivery channel. Account permissions, client authorisations, evidence formats, version control and deadline records will need tighter internal management. A fuller digital trail should improve traceability and may help regulators identify abnormal filing patterns, but electronic filing does not replace substantive review. Applicants should still check for exceptions and retain complete filing receipts and final document sets.
