On June 1, 2026, the “Oversea Intellectual Property Enforcement & Risk Control” Webinar, which is organized by the Xiangtan Municipal Intellectual Property Protection Center, is held virtually.

Yang Mingming, Partner, Wanhuida Intellectual Property lectures at the webinar.

Mingming speaks on “Chinese businesses going abroad: Trademark use obligation and non-use cancellation risks in EU & US”. Against the backdrop that an increasing number of Chinese businesses are building trademark portfolios overseas, registrants are obligated to use their trademarks, in order to sustain the registration and fend off the non-use cancellation actions. He provides the audience with a systematic introduction on the trademark use requirements, cancellation regime, burden of proof and refiling rules in the US, EU, UK and other jurisdictions.

Mingming cautions that the US trademark regime prioritizes the genuine use of trademarks in commercial settings. Other than filing the Statement of Use and submitting the trademark specimen, trademark owners are obligated to ensure that the use evidence is authentic and accurate, forming unequivocal correspondence with the designated goods or services. In EU and UK, trademark owners risk facing trademark cancellation actions if their trademarks have not been put into genuine use for 5 consecutive years after securing registration, unless the owners could adduce evidence to prove the duration, venue, scope and nature surrounding the trademark use. Trademark owners are also advised not to file overly broad applications, in absence of genuine business intentions, or to circumvent use obligation or to artificially extend grace period by filing duplicate applications, as these applications could be found to be bad-faith filings or risk being cancelled.

The webinar also covers topics including FTO compliance and infringement risk control in the US, IP enforcement at fairs and exhibitions and interlocutory injunctions in Germany, among others. The event, by focusing on the concerted strategy in IP enforcement and risk control, aims to provide practical takeaways for Xiangtan businesses looking to expanding overseas.