August 2026 | Commercial & Corporate Law
2026年8月 | 商业与公司法
Trade mark registration helps turn a business idea into a protected brand asset.
商标注册可以把一个商业创意变成受保护的品牌资产。
Many business owners assume that once they have registered a company, obtained an ABN, registered a business name and secured a domain name, the brand name belongs to them. Legally, it is not that simple.
很多老板在注册公司、申请 ABN、登记商业名称并买下域名以后，会自然地认为：这个名字已经是我的了。但从法律保护的角度看，事情没有这么简单。
A company name, business name or domain name identifies your business, but does not by itself give you registered trade mark rights. A registered trade mark is what can provide legal protection for the brand itself.
公司名称（company name）、商业名称（business name）或域名（domain）可以用于识别和经营你的企业，但本身并不会自动产生注册商标权。真正能够对品牌本身提供注册商标保护的，是商标注册。
Business name is not the same as a trade mark
商业名称和商标不是一回事
A business name is the name under which a business trades. A trade mark, by contrast, can protect a brand name, logo, slogan or other sign in relation to particular goods or services.
商业名称是企业对外经营时使用的名称；商标则可以保护品牌名称、Logo、口号或其他标志，并针对特定商品或服务提供法律保护。
ASIC accepting a business name does not mean the name is free from existing trade mark rights. Business names and trade marks are registered under different systems and serve different purposes.
澳大利亚证券和投资委员会（ASIC）接受并登记某个商业名称，并不代表该名称不存在商标冲突。商业名称和商标属于不同的登记制度，作用和审查内容也不同。
| Common misunderstanding: “ASIC accepted my business name, so it must be safe to use.” Not necessarily. A trade mark search is still important. 常见误区：“ASIC 已经批准了我的商业名称，所以这个名字肯定可以放心使用。”——并不一定。注册商业名称并不代表已经通过商标层面的检索，因此在使用或申请商标前，仍有必要进行商标检索。 |
Options for your trade mark registration
商标注册有哪些选择？
It depends on how the brand is used and what you most need to protect. The three common options are:
这取决于品牌实际怎样使用，以及你最想保护什么。常见的申请方式主要有三种：
Word mark
文字商标
A word mark protects letters, numbers, words or phrases. If the name is sufficiently distinctive, filing it in plain form is often more flexible than protecting only one stylised font. This can provide more flexible protection for the name even if the business later changes its font, colours or logo.
文字商标保护的是字母、数字、文字或短语。如果名称本身有足够的识别性，用普通字体申请通常比只保护某一种设计字体更灵活。这种申请方式通常能为名称本身提供更灵活的保护，即使日后更换字体、颜色或 Logo，也不一定影响对名称本身的保护。
Chinese-language mark
中文商标
A Chinese name or Chinese characters can be registered as a trade mark in Australia. Where the mark contains Chinese characters, the application generally requires an English translation and a transliteration into Roman letters. A Chinese name and an English name may differ in appearance, sound and meaning, so registering one does not automatically mean the other is fully protected.
中文名称或中文字符可以在澳大利亚申请注册商标。如果商标包含中文字符，申请时通常需要提供英文翻译，并将中文字符音译为罗马字母。中文名称和英文名称在外观、读音和含义上可能存在差异，因此只注册其中一个，并不当然意味着另一个也获得同等保护
Logo or composite mark
Logo 或图文组合商标
A logo mark may consist of an image alone or a combination of words and graphics. Protection generally focuses on the overall representation filed in the application. If the logo is later redesigned in a substantial way, the original registration may not fully cover the new design.
Logo 商标可以只包含图形，也可以把文字和图形放在一起。其保护重点通常是申请中提交的整体图样。如果日后对 Logo 进行较大幅度的重新设计，原有注册未必能够充分覆盖新的设计。
A word mark focuses on the name; a logo or composite mark focuses on the specific visual combination.
文字商标侧重名称本身；Logo 或图文组合商标则更侧重申请中呈现的具体视觉组合。
| Practical approach: If the budget allows, businesses that regularly use an English name, Chinese name and logo may consider filing the key word marks and logo separately, depending on how each element is used. 实用建议： 如果预算允许，而企业长期同时使用英文名称、中文名称和 Logo，可根据各元素的实际使用方式，考虑分别申请核心文字商标及 Logo 商标。 |
Do you need to register them separately?
这些商标需要分别申请吗？
Not always.
不一定。
Trade mark applications should be prioritised rather than filed indiscriminately.
商标申请应根据实际需要确定优先顺序，而不是看到什么都全部申请。
- Which name do customers remember and search for?
客户真正记住并搜索的是哪个名称？ - Will the business consistently use the name, the logo, or both?
企业未来会长期使用名称、Logo，还是两者都会使用？ - Which brand element would cause the greatest commercial harm if someone else used it?
哪个品牌元素一旦被别人使用，会对业务造成最大的影响？
| If the budget is limited, start with the most important, stable and distinctive brand element. If the English and Chinese names are both used independently and recognised separately by customers, each should be assessed on its own merits. 如果预算有限，通常应优先保护最核心、最稳定、最有识别度的品牌元素。如果中英文名称都会独立使用，而且客户会分别识别它们，就应分别评估是否申请。 |
How do trade mark classes work? Is more always better?
商标类别怎样选择？是不是越多越好？
Australia divides goods and services into 45 classes. Trade mark protection is tied to the goods and services covered by the registration. It does not give blanket protection across every industry.
澳洲商标把商品和服务分为 45 个类别。商标的保护范围与注册所涵盖的商品和服务密切相关，并不是注册一个名称以后就自动保护所有行业。
For example, a food business may need Class 43 for restaurant or café services, Class 29 or 30 for certain branded food products, and Class 35 if it provides retail services for others.
例如，餐饮企业可能需要第 43 类保护餐厅或咖啡店服务；如销售自有品牌食品，可能还涉及第 29 类或第 30 类；如为他人提供零售服务，则可能涉及第 35 类。
The goal is not to select as many classes as possible. The goods and services should reflect the business’s current activities and genuine future plans. More classes generally mean higher government fees, but choosing the wrong goods or services can still leave important parts of the business unprotected. After filing, the scope of the application generally cannot be expanded by simply adding new goods or services, so a further application may be required.
重点不是类别选得越多越好，而是申请的商品和服务范围应与企业目前的经营内容及真实的未来计划相匹配。类别越多，政府费用通常越高；但如果商品或服务选择不准确，即使商标成功注册，也可能无法覆盖企业真正需要保护的业务。申请递交后，通常不能直接扩大范围、增加新的商品或服务，因此可能需要另行提交新的申请。
Why search before filing?
为什么申请前要做检索？
A trade mark search should look beyond identical names and consider similar spelling, sound, meaning, translations and overall impression, together with registered or pending marks for the same or related goods and services. If a logo is involved, similar images should also be considered.
商标检索不能只看有没有完全相同的名称，还应考虑近似拼写、读音、含义、翻译及整体印象，并查看相同或相关商品和服务上的已注册及待审商标；如申请 Logo，也应关注近似图形。
A search can help identify potential conflicts and reduce filing risk, but it cannot guarantee registration or prevent every future dispute.
检索有助于提前发现潜在冲突并降低申请风险，但不能保证商标一定获准注册，也不能完全避免日后发生争议。
Standard application or TM Headstart?
普通申请还是先申请预审服务：哪一种更适合你？
Standard application
普通申请
Under IP Australia’s currently published fees, an online standard application using the official picklist starts at $250 per class. If you describe the goods or services in your own words instead of using the official picklist, the fee is higher, starting at $400 per class.
按照澳大利亚知识产权局（IP Australia）目前公布的收费，使用官方推荐的商品或服务清单（picklist）在线递交普通申请，政府费最低为每类 250 澳元。如果不用官方清单，而是自己填写商品或服务内容，费用会贵一些，最低为每类 400 澳元。
Once filed, a standard application cannot usually be changed substantially, and a mistaken filing is not automatically refunded simply because a new application is required.
普通申请递交以后通常不能大幅修改。如果申请有误、需要重新递交，原来的费用一般不会因此自动退回。
TM Headstart
预审服务
TM Headstart is a pre-application assessment service. An examiner checks common issues and gives preliminary feedback before the application is formally filed. For one class, the currently published minimum government cost is $330: $200 for the initial request and $130 to convert it to a formal application. Changes to the representation or additional classes may attract further fees.
TM Headstart 是正式申请前的预审服务。审查员会先检查常见问题并提供初步反馈。以一个类别计算，目前公布的最低政府费合计为 330 澳元，包括第一阶段的 200 澳元，以及转为正式申请时的 130 澳元。如果修改商标图样或增加类别，可能产生额外费用。
The advantage is that the applicant receives early feedback and may have an opportunity to adjust the request. The time limits are strict. After the report is issued, there are generally only five business days to make changes and five business days to formalise the application. Missing a deadline may cause the request to lapse.
它的好处是申请人可以较早收到审查员的意见，并可能有机会调整申请。但时限非常严格。收到报告后，修改和转为正式申请通常都只有 5 个工作日。错过期限，申请可能失效。
TM Headstart is not a guarantee of registration, and the examiner does not provide a complete infringement risk assessment or legal advice.
TM Headstart 预审并不是注册成功的保证，审查员也不会替申请人完成全面的侵权风险评估或提供法律意见。
| In simple terms: TM Headstart can be useful for a first filing or where the name or classes are uncertain. A standard application may suit a straightforward matter that has already been carefully searched and prepared. 简单理解： 如果是第一次申请，或者名称、类别还存在不确定性，TM Headstart预审机制往往更稳妥。如果申请内容很明确，而且已经做了充分检索，也可以考虑普通申请。 |
How long does registration take?
商标注册需要多久？
IP Australia currently indicates that trade mark registration takes at least seven months, with standard applications generally examined several months after filing. The actual timeframe can be longer if issues arise during examination, the application needs amendment, or objections must be addressed.
根据 IP Australia 目前公布的信息，商标从申请到完成注册通常至少需要约 7 个月，普通申请一般会在递交数月后进入审查。实际时间可能因审查意见、申请修改或其他问题而延长。
Careful preparation before filing can help reduce avoidable delays and ensure that the correct owner, trade mark and goods or services are identified from the outset.
申请前把申请主体、商标版本及商品和服务范围确认清楚，可以减少不必要的修改和延误，也有助于尽早确定申请日。
| Timing matters: Delaying an application may leave the brand exposed while the business continues to grow. In some cases, another party may file for a similar mark first. 时间很重要： 如果品牌已经投入使用但迟迟没有申请，在业务持续发展的同时，品牌保护可能仍处于空缺状态；也存在他人先行申请相同或近似商标的风险。 |
Common filing mistakes
企业申请商标时常见的问题
- The wrong applicant is named.
申请主体选择错误，例如实际经营主体、品牌持有人和付款主体并不一致。 - The wrong version of the mark is filed.
申请的商标版本与实际长期使用的品牌不一致，例如 Logo 尚未定稿就仓促递交。 - The goods and services are too narrow, too broad or do not match the business.
商品和服务范围选择不当，可能导致真正重要的业务没有得到有效覆盖。 - Potential conflicts are not identified before filing.
申请前没有充分检索近似商标，可能增加审查、异议或后续品牌冲突的风险。
These issues are often easier to address before filing than after an application has already been submitted.
这些问题通常在申请前处理最简单，一旦递交后再修改，选择空间往往会更有限。
Ready to apply?
准备申请商标？
A trade mark application is more than a form-filling exercise. If the owner, mark or scope is not properly considered at the start, the business may face gaps in protection, additional filings or conflicts with existing rights.
商标申请并不只是填写一张表格。如果申请初期没有妥善考虑申请主体、商标版本及商品和服务范围，后续可能出现保护不足、需要重新申请，甚至与他人现有权利发生冲突。
Before filing, we can review the proposed trade mark, ownership, relevant goods and services, existing use and any prior applications or registrations, and provide a tailored information and document checklist based on your business and proposed filing strategy.
在正式递交前，我们可以根据您的业务情况，对拟申请的商标、申请主体、商品和服务范围、现有使用情况及既往申请或注册情况进行初步梳理，并根据拟定的申请策略提供针对性的资料和文件清单。
| Ready to protect your brand? Skylar Legal can assist with trade mark searches, filing strategy, class selection and applications. 准备保护您的品牌？ Skylar Legal 可协助您进行商标检索、制定申请策略、选择合适类别并完成商标申请。 |
Official sources and disclaimer
官方资料与免责声明
Official sources: IP Australia – Trade mark timeframes and fees; Kinds of trade marks; Classes of goods and services; TM Headstart.
本文参考以上IP Australia 官方资料。
This article provides general information only and is not legal advice for any particular matter. A filing strategy should be assessed by reference to the applicant, the mark, how it is used, the relevant goods or services, and existing similar marks. Government fees and processing times may change and should be checked before filing.
本文仅提供一般信息，不构成针对任何具体情况的法律意见。商标申请策略应结合申请人、商标内容、实际使用方式、商品或服务范围以及现有近似商标综合判断。政府收费和审理时间可能调整，申请前应再次核对。