China files one application per class: four classes means four applications, four numbers and four certificates. A single EU application can cover those same four classes under one number instead. That difference shows up in three places: how the goods lists are written, what the fees add up to, and how many priority documents a claim needs.
One application, one class: the Chinese rule
On the Chinese side there is no multi-class application. If you want a mark in classes 9, 16, 41 and 42, that is four applications, four application numbers and four certificates. Each application carries its own goods or services list of up to ten items, and each is examined on its own.
This is not a formality. It changes the arithmetic of a filing, and it changes how a priority claim is documented, because the certified copy you obtain has to support applications that are counted differently on the other side of the comparison.
What four classes cost in China
Service fees follow the same rule as the filing: the first class of a mark is charged at the plan rate, and each further class of the same mark at the additional-class rate. The CNIPA official fee is charged per class and shown as its own line.
| Item | How it is charged | Typical figure |
|---|---|---|
| First class of a mark | Plan rate | $299 on Standard, official fee included |
| Each further class of the same mark | Additional-class rate | $199 per class, official fee included |
| CNIPA official fee | Per class, per application | 270 RMB, about $39 |
| Items beyond ten in a class | Per item, per application | $10 each |
| A separate mark (logo, second brand) | Starts again at the first-class rate | $299 for its first class |
So a word mark in four classes on Standard is $299 plus three times $199, which is $896, with the four official fees inside that figure. Add a logo in the same four classes and the logo is its own mark, so it starts again: another $896. The full schedule is on the pricing page.
Why the EU side is counted differently
At EUIPO one application can cover several classes under a single application number, and the fee structure reflects that: one base fee, then a lower fee for the second class and a higher one for each class after that. The practical effect is one document, one certificate and one renewal date for four classes.
Neither structure is better in the abstract. The EU system bundles administration. The Chinese system keeps each class separable, which is why a class that runs into trouble can be dealt with on its own without touching the rest of your position.
What this means for a priority claim
Priority documents are counted by the earlier application, not by the Chinese side. Two shapes occur:
| Earlier application | Documents | Our fee, official fees included |
|---|---|---|
| One number covering several classes | One document for the whole application | $699 |
| One application per class | One document per application number | $599 each |
The gap is translation work. A combined document carries the goods list of every class inside it and is translated as one long document; a class-by-class filing produces short, single-class documents.
The useful consequence: one EU application covering four classes produces a single priority document that the four Chinese applications can all rely on. You do not need four copies, and the certified copy is requested once. The mechanics are set out in how to claim priority in China, and the background is in the priority claim guide.
Writing the goods lists when every class stands alone
With ten items included in each class, the list is where a filing either covers your business or misses it. Three habits help:
- Write for how you sell, not for how you manufacture. A pen sold with an app usually needs class 9 for the device and the software, and class 16 only if the notebook is sold under the mark.
- Use the register’s own wording. CNIPA publishes the accepted wording for each item. Using it avoids a correction notice before examination even starts.
- Spend the ten items where the risk sits. Items the earlier application already covers carry the earlier date; items outside it do not, so the two questions are worth asking together.
If a class needs an eleventh item, the cost is $10, which includes CNIPA’s own charge. That is usually cheaper than filing a second application to patch a gap.
Mistakes we see in multi-class files
- Counting classes once. Fees, official charges and extra items are all per application, so a list of ten items in four classes is four separate ten-item lists.
- Assuming a logo rides along. The logo is a separate mark in each class, and it also cannot take the priority date of a word mark filing.
- Filing class 35 by reflex. Class 35 matters if you sell through a Chinese marketplace. Selling through your own site does not require it.
- Leaving a class out to save money. Adding a class later is a new application, with a new filing date, which is the one thing priority cannot repair.
Adding a class later: what it costs you in time
Dropping a class from the first round is the most expensive way to save money, because the class you add next year starts from next year’s date. In a first-to-file country that gap is the whole exposure.
The sequence is visible in the register. Your mark registers in four classes in month eight; a second applicant files in the class you left out in month three; by the time you notice, their application is the earlier one in that class. Your options are then the expensive ones: opposition inside the window if it is still open, cancellation for non-use after three years if the mark is unused, or coexistence. None of them is priced like a filing.
The same logic applies to related classes that look unnecessary at the start. A pen with an app and a subscription may need class 9 for the device, class 42 for the software service, and class 16 only if the notebook carries your mark. Mapping the product to classes before the filing, rather than after the first copycat, is where the money is saved. Our guide to choosing classes walks through the trade-offs.
Quick answers
Can I file one Chinese application for four classes?
No. China takes one application per class, so four classes means four applications, each with its own number and its own certificate.
Does one priority document cover all four?
Yes, where the earlier filing is a single application covering those classes. You have one document, and every Chinese application that relies on it refers to the same certified copy.
Is it cheaper to file in the EU first and claim priority in China?
They are separate costs. What priority changes is the date your Chinese applications take effect, which matters when someone files in the gap.
How many goods items should each class carry?
Up to ten are included per class. Fill the ten with what you actually sell or plan to sell, and use the register’s published wording.
Sources
Article 18 and Article 25 of the PRC Trademark Law; Article 20 of the Implementing Regulations; CNIPA and its fee schedule; WIPO, Paris Convention. General information, not legal advice, and outcomes rest with CNIPA.
Not sure how many classes you need?
Tell us what you sell and how you sell it. We will map your product to classes, draft the ten items for each one, and show what the whole filing costs before you commit. Pricing is on the pricing page, and the service itself sits under China trademark registration. Send the details through the contact page and you will have a quote within 24 hours.
