In order to better provide information services for import and export enterprises and intellectual property right (IPR) holders, and to facilitate registration applicants to complete relevant procedures, the General Administration of Customs has developed an "IPR Registration System for Customs Protection" (hereinafter referred to as the "Registration System" or the "System") in September 2004.

The "Registration System" has the following functions:

The IPR holders and the import and export enterprises can directly search all recorded information verified by the General Administration of Customs without user registration. In order to protect the trade secrets of IPR holders, contents for public inquiry are limited to the disclosed information such as name of the registration applicant, title of the right recorded, right registration or authorization number and products approved for use of the trademarks. For other information such as name and contact information of the contact person designated by the IPR holder and the enterprises with licenses to use such IPR, it is available to IPR holders only after they have registered as a user;

Upon completion of the user registration, the registration applicant can submit an application to the General Administration of Customs for IPR registration, and can query information such as the date on which the General Administration of Customs accepts the application and receives the registration fees, the review opinions of the General Administration of Customs, the date of approval, and the registration number.

Applicants can manage the recorded information under their names via the System by means of inquery, statistics, sorting, printing, and output so as to timely detect the situation requiring change or renewal of the registration;

Applicants can modify the recorded information about contact persons, mailing address, telephone and fax and other communication ways, as well as the name list of licensed users through the System on their own and do not have to apply in writing to the General Administration of Customs for change. Therefore, it is very convenient for IPR holders that are in great mobility and frequent needs for changing the recorded information.

Finally, it should be noted that no fee will be charged on any user of the "Registration System", whether he or she is registered as a user or not. 

Appendix: User Guide to the IPR Registration System