Legal matters & intellectual property in Chinese 知识产权

zhīshi chǎnquán

Intellectual property in Chinese is 知识产权 (zhī shi chǎn quán).

Also searched for as: intellectual property in Chinese, IP, trademark, patent, copyright, contract law.

Contracts, trademarks and what to do if someone copies you. 15 essential legal matters & intellectual property words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.

Intellectual property in Chinese is 知识产权 (zhī shi chǎn quán), and for any business working with China it's worth learning the core terms early. The three big ones are 专利 (zhuān lì), patent, 商标 (shāng biāo), trademark, and 版权 (bǎn quán), copyright. Knowing them makes it much easier to talk to lawyers, factories and online platforms about protecting your products and your brand, and about what to do when someone copies them.

Usage tips

• China uses a first-to-file system for trademarks, so registering your 商标 (shāng biāo) in China early, including a Chinese-language version of your brand name, is widely recommended.
• 山寨 (shān zhài), literally 'mountain stronghold', describes knock-offs and copycat products; it's informal, while legal documents use terms like 侵权 (qīn quán), infringement, and 假冒 (jiǎ mào), counterfeit.
• 维权 (wéi quán), 'defending your rights', is used by consumers and businesses alike, and a 律师函 (lǜ shī hán), lawyer's letter, is often the first step before you 起诉 (qǐ sù), sue.

Common mistakes

• Using 复制 (fù zhì), a neutral 'copy', for copying someone's work: that's 抄袭 (chāo xí), and counterfeit goods are 山寨货 (shān zhài huò) or 假货 (jiǎ huò).
• Mixing up 专利 (zhuān lì) and 商标 (shāng biāo): a patent protects an invention or design, while a trademark protects your name and logo.

Mini dialogue

1. A你看，网上有人在卖我们产品的山寨货。Nǐ kàn, wǎng shàng yǒu rén zài mài wǒ men chǎn pǐn de shān zhài huò.Look, someone's selling knock-offs of our product online.
2. B设计完全一样，这明显是侵权。Shè jì wán quán yī yàng, zhè míng xiǎn shì qīn quán.The design's identical. That's clearly infringement.
3. A我们的商标在中国注册了吗？Wǒ men de shāng biāo zài Zhōng guó zhù cè le ma?Is our trademark registered in China?
4. B注册了。我先让法务联系律师，给他们发律师函。Zhù cè le. Wǒ xiān ràng fǎ wù lián xì lǜ shī, gěi tā men fā lǜ shī hán.Yes. I'll get legal to contact our lawyer and send them a lawyer's letter.
5. A好，如果他们不下架，我们就起诉。Hǎo, rú guǒ tā men bù xià jià, wǒ men jiù qǐ sù.Good. If they don't take it down, we'll sue.

Example sentences

• 我们很重视知识产权保护。We take IP protection very seriously.
• 这个设计已经申请专利了。We've already applied for a patent on this design.
• 先在中国注册商标。Register your trademark in China first.
• 公司注册要多久？How long does it take to register a company?
• 这张图片有版权，不能随便用。This image is copyrighted, you can't just use it.
• 他们的产品侵权了。Their product infringes our rights.
• 市场上出现了很多山寨货。Lots of knock-offs have appeared on the market.
• 他们的设计明显是抄袭我们的。Their design is obviously copied from ours.
• 发现侵权要及时维权。If you find an infringement, act quickly to protect your rights.
• 双方签字盖章后生效。It takes effect once both parties sign and stamp it.
• 看资料前要先签保密协议。You have to sign an NDA before you see the documents.
• 我们已经给对方发了律师函。We've already sent them a lawyer's letter.
• 合同先给法务看一下。Let legal look over the contract first.
• 我先问问我们的律师。Let me check with our lawyer first.
• 我们准备起诉他们。We're preparing to sue them.

Practise speaking

Ready to use these words? The Legal matters & intellectual property speaking island has 8 everyday questions about legal matters & intellectual property to prepare your own answers to.

Related topics

• Quitting & resigning 辞职
• Business email phrases 商务邮件用语
• Negotiating a deal 商务谈判
• Contracts & agreements 合同
• Sourcing & suppliers 采购
• Manufacturing & quality control 生产质检
• Shipping & logistics 物流
• Import, export & customs 进出口

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