Why Clients Work With Us
Practical China IP support for businesses that need more than a filing service —and more technical, supply-chain-aware judgment than a general legal process alone.
When international founders, inventors, product companies, and growing brands deal with China, they often face the same problem: they do not just need a lawyer, and they do not just need a filing agent. They need a team that understands how China IP decisions actually work in practice —across patents, trademarks, technology, products, suppliers, contracts, and commercial timing. That is where China IP Gateway is especially strong.
Not Just a Filing Platform
Some service providers are built mainly to submit forms at low cost. That may be enough when the issue is simple, the risk is low, and the client already knows exactly what to do.
But many China-related matters are not simple. A trademark filing in China is often also a Chinese-name decision, a specification-scope decision, and a squatter-risk decision. A patent is not just a document —it is a claims strategy. We work through those layers before we touch a form.
That means clients sometimes get advice that is different from what they expected. We would rather give you the right strategy upfront than file something that looks complete but fails to protect you when it matters.
- We assess actual risk and business context before recommending any strategy
- We run prior-mark conflict checks and flag issues before you commit to filing
- We write specifications broad enough to cover your real products, channels, and future business directions
- We advise on Chinese-name selection strategically —not just transliteration
- We handle examination responses, office actions, and prosecution —not just submission
- We do not file and disappear —we stay responsible through the full lifecycle of each matter
Where We Are Especially Strong
Our work is concentrated in areas where technical understanding, prosecution experience, and China-side operational knowledge combine —and where that combination makes a real, measurable difference to whether your IP position actually holds.
China Trademark Strategy
English-mark filing plus Chinese-name registration —dual-identity protection scoped to cover your actual products, channels, and future business directions.
Hardware & Manufacturing IP
Utility models, design patents, and invention applications for product companies manufacturing in or selling into China —with OEM and supplier IP contract clauses.
First-to-File Jurisdiction Defense
China is first-to-file. Proactive registration with conflict searches, Chinese-name strategy, and squatter response built into every intake.
PCT National Phase Entry into China
Full prosecution in China for international patent applications —office action responses, claim amendments, examination strategy, and appeals to the Patent Re-examination Board.
Supplier & Cross-Border IP Control
NNN agreements and manufacturing contract IP clauses structured for how Chinese supply chain relationships actually work —not just adapted from Western NDA templates.
Enforcement & Escalation
CNIPA customs recordal, platform takedowns on Alibaba and JD, and cease-and-desist strategy —with clear guidance on when and how to escalate to licensed PRC litigation counsel.
Our Structure Is Designed to Be Clear
Our structure separates international client engagement from China-side regulated filing work. Each layer does what it is best positioned to do —and clients always know who is responsible for what.
How we are structured —and how that structure protects you
Litigation scope: For patent and trademark litigation matters, we can handle representation directly. For matters such as trade secret litigation and certain broader commercial disputes, we coordinate with long-standing cooperating lawyer resources where appropriate.
- Technical background in hardware, electronics, and mechanical engineering relevant to patent claims
- Deep experience with CNIPA examination practice, office action response, and appeal strategy
- Claims drafted to survive examination and inter partes challenge —not just to get granted
- Practical understanding of how Chinese manufacturing supply chains affect IP ownership and control
- PCT national phase entry and prosecution strategy handled with real deadline management
- Clear judgment on when to escalate to licensed PRC litigation counsel —and prior relationships with qualified firms
Technical and IP Capability Matter
China IP decisions do not happen in isolation from technology, products, or supply chains. Patent claims need to be drafted by someone who understands the invention well enough to scope them correctly. Trademark strategy for a product brand needs to account for how Chinese distributors, contract manufacturers, and platform sellers could exploit a registration gap.
We bring an engineering-informed technical background and deep China-side operational experience to every matter. That combination is what allows us to give advice that holds up under examination, challenge, and commercial pressure —not just advice that sounds correct in theory.
A Better Fit for Startups, Product Brands, and Growing Businesses
Our structure is built for companies that are still making their China IP decisions —not just maintaining a portfolio that already exists. That is the stage where strategy, timing, specification scope, and the right protection tool make the most difference. And it is where having the wrong structure —or the wrong counsel —is most costly.
Hardware & Consumer Product Companies
- Products manufactured in China or sold into Chinese e-commerce —first-to-file exposure is real
- Utility model and design patent strategy for manufactured goods entering Chinese markets
- NNN agreements, OEM IP control, and manufacturing contract IP clauses
E-Commerce & Cross-Border Brands
- Trademark squatter prevention, dual-identity English + Chinese registration strategy
- Platform enforcement and takedown management on Alibaba, JD, Taobao, and Pinduoduo
- Chinese brand name development, selection, and long-term trademark protection
Deep Tech, Medtech & Product Innovators
- PCT national phase entry into China with full prosecution and examination support
- CNIPA office action responses, claim strategy, and appeals to Re-examination Board
- Patent portfolio development aligned with funding timelines and commercialisation milestones
What Types of Matters Are a Good Fit for Us
Not sure if your matter is on this list? Book a free consultation and we will let you know directly.
If any of the above matches your situation, the most useful next step is a short conversation. We will assess your position and tell you directly what your options are.
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to the questions clients ask most often.
Are you a traditional law firm?
China IP Gateway is not presented as a broad traditional law firm brand covering every kind of legal matter. It is an international-facing China IP practice focused on patents, trademarks, supplier-facing protection, filing strategy, and related China-side IP work. The structure is designed to give clients practical, direct, and China-focused support —not a generic large-firm process. Every client engages directly with our structure, not through a firm administration layer.
Are you a middleman?
No. We are not a passive broker or referral layer. Clients work directly with our structure for strategy, communication, and execution. China-side regulated filing and agency work is handled through Zhiquan, the professional IP firm in China that forms part of our operating structure. When additional cooperating lawyer resources are needed for certain matters — such as broader commercial litigation — that coordination is done transparently and purposefully. There is no hidden intermediary layer.
Do I need to be a large company to work with you?
No. Most of our clients are startups, hardware founders, product brands, and growing cross-border businesses. They need serious China IP counsel without large-firm overhead and without the structural mismatch of a firm designed for Fortune 500 corporate portfolios. We are built for the stage where IP decisions are still being made, not just maintained.
Do you understand technology and manufacturing —not just legal procedure?
Yes. Peter Lin has a technical background and has worked extensively with hardware manufacturers, cross-border product companies, and deep-tech founders. That means patent applications are drafted with real understanding of the invention, and trademark strategy accounts for how Chinese supply chains and distribution relationships actually work.
Do you handle enforcement, not just registration?
Yes. We advise on enforcement across CNIPA customs recordal, Alibaba, JD, Taobao, and other platform takedowns, cease-and-desist strategy, and escalation to licensed PRC litigation counsel when needed. We also advise on the timing and costs of enforcement so you can make informed decisions before committing.
Is pricing transparent and fixed in advance?
Yes. Attorney fees are quoted in writing before any work begins. Official CNIPA and government fees are passed through at exact cost with no markup. We do not bill by the hour and we do not issue surprise invoices. You know what you are paying and what it covers before we start.
Can you work with foreign clients who do not speak Chinese?
Yes. All client communication is in English. We manage all Chinese-language correspondence, examination filings, and official responses on your behalf. You receive plain-language summaries of every official action with a clear explanation of your options and recommended next steps.
Talk to Us Before You File Anything
The right strategy is worth more than the fastest filing. Book a free consultation. We will assess your actual exposure, tell you what protection makes sense for your situation, and give you a clear written quote before anything starts. No obligation. No upselling.