China IP Protection for
Game, Card Game & Story IP Creators
Before you pitch your game, story, artwork, characters, scripts, pitch deck, or game design document to Chinese studios, publishers, platforms, manufacturers, or talent, secure your China trademarks, copyright records, NNN protection, and disclosure strategy.
Why This Team
Peter Lin previously worked in Tencent's legal department on IP-related matters. Our team has also supported Tencent on trademark and patent matters for several years. This background helps us understand how large Chinese technology, game, and content platforms think about IP ownership, rights chain, internal review, and disclosure risk.
Scope Note
We help you protect, organize, and prepare your IP before outreach. We do not guarantee that Tencent, NetEase, Alibaba, YY, or any Chinese platform will accept, review, publish, invest in, or license your project.
Game & Creator IP — China Strategy
Peter Lin
Founder & China Supplier Control Lead
Former Tencent legal department experience. Practical guidance for game designers, card game creators, and story IP owners preparing for China outreach, co-development, or licensing discussions.
HOW DIFFERENT GAME & STORY IP CREATORS SHOULD PROTECT THEMSELVES IN CHINA
Different creative projects create different China-side IP risks. A digital game, a card game, and a story universe do not need the same first step.
Digital Game IP INDIE / DIGITAL GAME STUDIOS
Protect the game title, logo, software-facing assets, and disclosure package before publisher discussions.
For Steam, mobile, visual novel, FMV, or digital game projects, China protection usually starts with the game name, logo, copyrightable materials, GDD, builds, screenshots, and publisher disclosure strategy.
Review a Game IP Path
Card Game IP CARD GAME / TABLETOP / COLLECTIBLE CREATORS
Card games need trademark, artwork, rulebook, and manufacturing-disclosure protection.
For card games and tabletop games, the key assets often include the game name, logo, card artwork, rulebook, component design, packaging, character names, and China manufacturing or publishing contacts.
Review a Card Game Path
Story IP STORY / CHARACTER / ENTERTAINMENT IP OWNERS
Scripts, characters, visual worlds, and talent discussions need controlled disclosure.
For story universes, animation concepts, visual novels, scripts, and character-driven IP, the risk is not only a copied title. Scripts, character profiles, pitch decks, visual concepts, music, and talent collaboration plans should be disclosed carefully.
Review a Story IP Path
"A trademark in China is only as strong as the strategy behind it."
Watch a Short Introduction
Meet Your China IP Team
Peter Lin, Founder & China Supplier Control Lead
Peter coordinates China IP matters directly with game designers, card game creators, and story IP owners — trademark readiness, pre-pitch NNN structure, disclosure risk, and first-step protection planning. He works through these with you, not behind a support queue.
Peter Lin previously worked in Tencent's legal department on IP-related matters. Our team has also supported Tencent on trademark and patent matters for several years. This background helps us understand how large Chinese technology, game, and content platforms approach IP ownership, rights chain review, and disclosure decisions.
Execution in mainland China is handled by Zhiquan (智圈). Client agreements and payment go through OpenPTO Hong Kong. The structure is transparent and independently verifiable.
What We Think Through for Your IP
- Game title, series name, and character name trademark exposure in China
- Copyright records and rights-chain documentation for core materials
- Pre-disclosure NNN structure before contacting Chinese partners
- Which materials to share first, and how to document what was disclosed
- Whether trademark or copyright first steps should happen before or alongside outreach
Pricing & Packages
Three Ways to Start
Choose based on where you are — still deciding how to protect your IP, preparing to pitch, or ready for full China IP coverage.
China Game IP
Readiness Review
For creators still deciding how to protect and pitch a game, card game, or story IP in China.
- Initial review of project name, IP type, and China-facing plan
- Trademark / copyright risk direction
- Disclosure-risk comments
- Suggested first-step protection path
- Short written next-step recommendation
Pre-Pitch Protection
Package
For creators preparing to share materials with Chinese studios, publishers, platforms, manufacturers, or talent.
- China-focused pre-discussion NNN
- Confidentiality, non-use, non-circumvention, no unauthorized submission
- No unauthorized adaptation or derivative development
- No unauthorized trademark / copyright / domain / account filing
- Disclosure protocol
- One round of reasonable revision
China Game IP
Lock Pack
For creators who want NNN protection plus China trademark and copyright first-step filings.
- Pre-Pitch Protection Package
- China trademark filing for one core name in selected class(es)
- Copyright recordal starting point for one core work
- IP rights-chain summary
- China-facing protection recommendation
HOW WE HELP BEFORE YOU PITCH TO CHINA
We help foreign creators protect and organize their game, card game, story, and character IP before deeper discussions with Chinese studios, publishers, platforms, manufacturers, or talent.
China Trademark First
We identify the core game title, series name, logo, and character names that may need China trademark protection before they appear in pitch decks, publisher emails, manufacturing files, or partner discussions.
Copyright & Rights Chain
We help map the materials that may need copyright records or ownership documentation, including artwork, scripts, rulebooks, card designs, music, visual concepts, and game design documents.
China-focused NNN
We prepare a pre-discussion NNN structure covering confidentiality, non-use, non-circumvention, no unauthorized submission, no unauthorized adaptation, and no unauthorized IP filings.
Controlled Disclosure
We help decide what can be shared first, what should wait until protection is in place, and how to keep a written record of what was disclosed, to whom, and for what purpose.
WHAT WE HELP YOU PROTECT
Tell Us About Your Game or Story IP
Tell us your project name, IP type, current stage, and what you want to do in China.
Who Handles Your China IP Matter
China trademark, copyright recordal, China-focused NNN, disclosure control, rights-chain review, and pre-pitch protection — handled directly, with a defined team and independently verifiable structure.
Peter Lin
Founder & China Supplier Control Lead
Peter is the primary contact for client communication and case direction. You work directly with him — not through a sales layer or account management queue.
OpenPTO Hong Kong
Client Coordination & Payment
The registered entity in client agreements, invoicing, and cross-border coordination. Verifiable through the Hong Kong Companies Registry.
Zhiquan (智圈)
Mainland China Execution
Our China-side team that supports execution of IP filings, NNN agreement preparation, and coordination with relevant Chinese IP authorities.
What a Game IP Protection Starter File May Include
For game, card game, tabletop, story, visual novel, and character IP creators, the first protection file is usually a combination of name protection, copyright materials, disclosure control, and rights-chain notes.
China Trademark Starter
A China trademark filing plan for your core game title, series name, logo, or character-related name before it appears in pitch decks, publisher emails, manufacturing files, or partner discussions.
Copyright Material Map
A practical list of creative materials that may need copyright recordal or ownership documentation, such as card artwork, scripts, rulebooks, character profiles, visual concepts, and music.
Pre-Pitch Disclosure File
A controlled-disclosure structure for sharing pitch decks, game design documents, artwork, scripts, and other sensitive materials with Chinese studios, publishers, platforms, manufacturers, or talent.
Do Not Send Everything Before Protection Is in Place
Before a China-focused NNN or controlled disclosure structure is in place, avoid sending the most complete version of your project materials.
Avoid sending too early
- Full scripts or full story bibles
- Complete game design documents
- High-resolution artwork or source files
- Complete character profiles
- Music stems or unreleased audio files
- Unreleased builds or playable files
- Complete commercial or licensing plans
Safer first-step materials
- Non-confidential project summary
- Short pitch overview
- Low-resolution preview images
- Publicly available Kickstarter / Steam / website link
- Existing trademark or copyright records
- General partner type you want to approach
- A list of materials you plan to disclose later
Frequently Asked Questions
Practical questions from game designers, card game creators, and story IP owners preparing for China outreach.
Before producing, pitching, or licensing your game in China
Game IP protection covers trademark, copyright, NNN, and pre-pitch disclosure controls. But if you are also working with a Chinese manufacturer, printer, or production partner, it is worth checking whether the right entity controls the supplier relationship and contract rights before you share game files, artwork, or component designs. A China Supplier Control Review covers that layer.
Request a Supplier Control Review