Structured Guidance for Foreign Businesses
China IP Guides
In-depth guides for foreign brands, startups, and innovators.
This is the structured, long-form guidance section of China IP Gateway. Each guide covers an entire topic area in depth — trademarks, patents, manufacturing-related IP protection, supplier risk, agreement structure, and China business risk management.
These are not blog articles, and they are not single-issue FAQ responses. They are built to give foreign companies a working understanding of the full strategic and practical picture for each topic.
Who you are hearing from
Peter Lin — Founder & Principal, China IP Gateway
Qualified Chinese patent attorney and trademark agent. Background: Foxconn · Tencent · Midea · OpenPTO.
What These Guides Are Designed to Help You Do
Foreign companies engaging with China face a specific set of structural decisions — and most of the confusion comes not from a lack of information, but from encountering the wrong information at the wrong time.
These guides are built around the decisions foreign clients actually face: not legal theory, but the real judgment calls that arise before and during China exposure.
Each guide is designed to help you navigate:
- Trademark timing — when to file, whether you are already too late, and what your options are
- Patent route decisions — utility vs. design, PCT vs. direct, timing relative to manufacturing
- Supplier-stage risk — what to protect before talking to factories, and how
- NNN and agreement structure — what different agreement types actually do and do not protect
- Brand protection before China market exposure — Chinese-character marks, registration sequence
- Common wrong assumptions — and how they lead to preventable losses
Featured Guides
Start with the guide most relevant to your current situation. Each guide is self-contained — you do not need to read all of them in order.
IP Protection in China: The Complete Guide for Foreign Brands
The most comprehensive guide on this site for foreign companies navigating China IP for the first time — or building a complete strategic picture. Covers trademarks, patents, NNN agreements, Chinese brand naming, product design protection, and cross-border execution in one structured guide.
Read the Full GuideThis guide covers
- Trademark registration strategy
- Patent routes into China
- NNN vs NDA — why it matters
- Chinese brand name registration
- Design patent protection
- Supplier IP risk management
A Practical Guide to China Trademark Filing for Foreign Brands
When to file a China trademark, how the first-to-file system works in practice, Chinese-character brand name strategy, and what to do if your mark has already been registered by a third party.
Read GuidePatent Filing in China: What Foreign Innovators Should Know
An overview of China patent types, the PCT route versus direct filing, design patent strategy for product companies, and the timing decisions that have the largest impact on protection outcome.
Read GuideNNN, NDA, and Manufacturing Agreements in China: What’s the Difference?
Why standard NDAs often fail in Chinese manufacturing contexts, what a properly structured NNN agreement does differently, and how to structure supplier-stage IP protection before factory conversations begin.
Read GuideBrowse by Topic
Not sure which guide is most relevant? Use these topic areas to find the right starting point.
Trademarks
When to file, how China's first-to-file system works, what to do if your brand is already taken, and how Chinese-character marks fit into your strategy.
Patents
Utility patents, design patents, PCT filings, and the timing questions that matter most for foreign innovators entering China or working with Chinese manufacturers.
Manufacturing & Supplier Risk
NNN agreements, OEM IP risk, confidentiality structure before and during factory engagement, and why Western-style NDAs are often insufficient.
Strategy & First-Step Decisions
How to prioritize across patent, trademark, and agreement decisions when budget and timing are real constraints. What a sound first step looks like in practice.
How to Use China IP Guides
The China IP Gateway Resources system is organized around the different ways foreign businesses typically engage with IP questions. Here is how to navigate it.
New to China IP
Start with Start Here. It orients you by business situation, not legal category. Then return here once you have a clearer sense of what you need.
Go to Start HereKnow what issue you are facing
Read the guide that matches your current decision. Each guide is standalone — you do not need to read all of them in sequence.
Browse Featured GuidesHave a quick specific question
Practical Answers covers common single-issue questions in a shorter format. Better suited if you want a fast answer rather than a structured walkthrough.
Go to Practical AnswersNeed a working tool or checklist
Downloads contains checklists and planning templates you can use directly — including pre-manufacturing supplier IP checklists and filing trackers.
Go to DownloadsRecommended Next Steps
After reading a guide, these are the most useful places to continue.
Start Here
New to China IP? Begin with the orientation section — it will help you identify your starting point before going deeper into any guide.
Practical Answers
Short, direct answers to specific China IP questions — trademarks, patents, agreements, and enforcement.
Downloads
Checklists, planning tools, and structured reference documents for foreign businesses navigating China IP.
Ask a Question
Not sure which guide covers your situation? Reach out directly and we will point you to the right resource or provide a brief initial assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about how to use these guides and what they are designed to do.
What is the difference between China IP Guides and Practical Answers?
Guides are longer, more structured, and designed to give you a comprehensive understanding of an entire topic — such as how China trademark strategy works for foreign brands from start to finish. Practical Answers are shorter and focused on specific questions. Use Guides when you need the full picture; use Practical Answers when you already know what you are asking.
Are these guides for startups or more established companies?
Both. The guides are written to be useful whether you are in an early-stage startup thinking about your first China filing, or an established business reviewing an existing IP posture. The language is practical throughout — not academic — and the decision frameworks apply across company sizes.
Do the guides only cover filing procedures?
No. Filing is one part, but the guides cover the broader strategic layer: when to file, which filing type to choose, what to do before filing, what risks arise when you work with Chinese manufacturers, and how to think about IP as part of China business exposure rather than just a compliance checklist.
I am not sure whether my issue is a trademark, patent, or agreement question. Where do I start?
The Start Here page is specifically designed for this situation. It will help you orient by your current business exposure — manufacturing, market entry, product development — rather than by legal category. Once you have a sense of the issue type, the guides become much easier to navigate.
Can I read a guide and then contact you with follow-up questions?
Yes. That is a natural path. Reading the relevant guide first means you will get more out of a consultation because you can ask more specific questions — rather than spending that time covering background. Use the Contact page to reach us after reading.
From the Blog
Articles in China IP Guides
In-depth, evergreen articles covering China trademark, patent, and manufacturing IP topics for foreign businesses — the blog complement to the structured guides above.
Missed the Hong Kong Re-Registration Window: Can Standard Patent (O) Still Help?
Missed the Hong Kong standard patent (R) deadline after filing in China or via PCT? Learn when standard patent (O) may still help, and when it may already be too late.
Read Article China IP GuidesChina Patent vs Hong Kong Patent: What Is the Difference?
What is the difference between a China patent and a Hong Kong patent? Learn the key differences in territory, patent types, filing routes, protection term, and follow-on filing strategy.
Read Article China IP GuidesWe Filed in China — Can We Still Protect the Invention in Hong Kong? A Practical Guide for PCT and China Patent Applicants
A practical guide to filing in Hong Kong after a China patent filing or PCT entry into China. Learn the best route, the two-stage system, and the key 6-month deadlines.
Read Article China IP GuidesPCT Translation Errors in China: What Foreign Applicants Can Correct, and When
PCT translation errors in China can permanently affect patent scope. This guide explains what can be corrected, when, and how the PCT and Paris routes differ.
Read Article China IP GuidesBefore You Manufacture in China: How Trademark, Patent, and Contract Protection Work Together
A practical China entry guide for foreign startups and product companies on how brand, product, and supplier-side protection should be sequenced before manufacturing begins.
Read Article China IP GuidesWhat a China Manufacturing Agreement Should Say About Tooling and Molds
A practical guide for foreign brands and product companies on why tooling and mold terms should be explicit in a China manufacturing agreement.
Read Article China IP GuidesEntering China via US PPA: Don't Let These 3 Details Ruin Your Patent Strategy
A US Provisional Patent Application (PPA) is a smart starting move — but using it as the priority basis for China requires getting three specific details right. Peter Lin explains what goes wrong when founders skip these steps.
Read Article China IP Guides12 vs. 30 Months: Mastering the Critical Windows for China Patent Protection
Twelve months. Thirty months. These two deadlines define your entire China patent window — and confusing them can cost you rights you can never recover. Peter Lin breaks down exactly what happens at each deadline and how to use both strategically.
Read Article China IP GuidesFrom Idea to Income: Navigating the Chinese PCT National Phase with the Slimming Strategy
Most inventors file a PCT application with broad claims — then arrive at China's national phase unprepared for the cost and complexity. Peter Lin explains the "slimming strategy": a focused, cost-effective way to enter China via PCT that protects what matters most.
Read Article China IP GuidesProvisional vs. Non-Provisional Patent Applications — Which One Fits Your Kickstarter Launch?
Choosing between a provisional and a non-provisional patent matters more than most founders realise. Here is a plain-language breakdown to help you decide.
Read ArticleNeed Structured Guidance on a China IP Issue?
If you are not sure where a guide begins or which one addresses your situation, Start Here will orient you — or contact us directly for a brief initial assessment.