A certification mark does not serve to distinguish a company from its competitors but guarantees specific quality characteristics of goods or services. Examples include the Fairtrade seal, which ensures fair trading conditions for producers, or the TÜV mark, which confirms safety and quality testing by TÜV. The Blue Angel, which stands for environmentally friendly products, is also a known certification mark.
In China, comparable certifications fulfill similar functions. Two certificates are particularly common: Zhonghua Laozihao and the CQC Certification. Zhonghua Laozihao is an award granted by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce to companies with a long-standing tradition, whose products or services have been recognized for generations. The CQC Certification, on the other hand, is issued by the China Quality Certification Center and confirms compliance with Chinese standards in the areas of safety, environmental protection, quality, and performance. Both certificates serve as quality and origin guarantees but are not formal trademark registrations.
German companies can register certification marks in China. International certification marks such as the Fairtrade seal or the FSC certificate for sustainable forestry are already established in the Chinese market. To apply, all documents must be submitted in Chinese, and the mark is only registered after a review by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) and a designated opposition period. The protection period is ten years and can be renewed. For German companies, registering a certification mark can be an effective strategy to gain the trust of Chinese consumers and secure market success in a challenging economic environment.
Source: Zhonghua Laozihao, CQC, CNIPA
China Intellectual Property Blog 