> Source: https://chinaipmark.com/blog/china-trademark-tech-apps/ > Updated: 2026-10-21 Guide # China Trademark for Tech and App Brands October 21, 2026 By ChinaIPMark ![China Trademark for Tech and App Brands](https://chinaipmark.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/blog-laptop-1024x730.jpg) Tech and app brands in China usually need both class 9, for the software as a product, and class 42, for the software as a service. Filing only one leaves a hole that a competitor can exploit. ## Class 9 vs class 42 Class 9 covers downloadable software and hardware; class 42 covers SaaS and technology services. An app sold in stores is class 9; a platform you operate is class 42. Most tech brands genuinely do both, which is why this is the most common two-class filing we handle. ## What else tech brands should file - **Company name and product name** as separate word marks - **Logo** as a figurative mark - **GUI design** as a [design patent](https://chinaipmark.com/design-patent/), if the interface is distinctive - **Class 35** if you do advertising or marketplace retail ## A practical note on app stores ## Beyond class 9 and 42 Most app businesses stop at two classes and leave the edges open. Class 38 covers telecommunications and data transmission, which is where messaging and streaming features sit. Class 41 covers content, education and entertainment, which matters if you publish courses or media inside the app. Class 45 covers online social networking and certain platform services. There is also a design route that software brands rarely use. China accepts design patents for graphical user interfaces, so a distinctive interface layout can be protected as a design rather than only as a mark. That is useful when a competitor copies the look of your screens without using your name. None of this means filing everything. It means deciding on purpose. A B2B tool that sells seats needs class 9 and 42. A consumer app with a store, content and a community usually needs one or two more, and the product roadmap tells you which. Chinese app stores and copyright registration have their own rules, and a trademark does not replace them. But for enforcement against lookalike apps, the class 9 registration is the foundation. If your roadmap includes China, [send us your product description](https://chinaipmark.com/contact/) and we will confirm the classes before you launch. Figures follow the [CNIPA](https://english.cnipa.gov.cn/) fee schedule and published examination guidance. ## About this guide Written by the ChinaIPMark team in Changsha, China. We help overseas brands register China trademarks and design patents, and all official filings are prepared and submitted by CNIPA-registered partner agencies. **Sources:** This guide references [CNIPA](https://english.cnipa.gov.cn/) official fee schedules and examination guidance, and [WIPO](https://www.wipo.int/) materials where an international route applies. Figures are current as of the update date shown above. **Disclaimer:** This guide is general information, not legal advice. Filing outcomes are never guaranteed. See our [Terms of Service](https://chinaipmark.com/terms/) and [Privacy Policy](https://chinaipmark.com/privacy-policy/). ## Related guides - [China Trademark Cost: What a Foreign Company Quote Includes](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/china-trademark-quote-checklist/) - [Storing Goods in China: Do You Need a Mark?](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/china-trademark-warehouse-storage/) - [China Trademark for Freelancers and Solo Founders](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/china-trademark-freelancers/) - [How to Check if Your Brand Is Registered in China](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/is-my-brand-registered-china/) - [Do EU or US Marks Stop Squatting in China?](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/foreign-trademark-squatting-china/) ## Services - [China trademark registration](https://chinaipmark.com/trademark-registration/) - [China design patent](https://chinaipmark.com/design-patent/) - [Pricing](https://chinaipmark.com/pricing/) ## Get a quote Tell us about your brand and receive a clear quote within 24 hours. [Contact us](https://chinaipmark.com/contact/) Read next ## Keep reading October 26, 2026 ### [China Trademark Cost: What a Foreign Company Quote Includes](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/china-trademark-quote-checklist/) Compare the official CNIPA fee, service scope, goods count, post-filing support and excluded costs in a China trademark… [Read guide](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/china-trademark-quote-checklist/) October 26, 2026 ### [Storing Goods in China: Do You Need a Mark?](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/china-trademark-warehouse-storage/) Bonded warehouses and free trade zones are customs statuses, not sales. Where storage creates trademark exposure anyway, and… [Read guide](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/china-trademark-warehouse-storage/) October 26, 2026 ### [China Trademark for Freelancers and Solo Founders](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/china-trademark-freelancers/) Freelancers and solo founders can own China trademarks as individuals. Passport, power of attorney and one class to… [Read guide](https://chinaipmark.com/blog/china-trademark-freelancers/)