Is your company entering the Spanish market, but worried about trademark squatting or having no one to ask when a patent faces opposition? Until now, businesses have often lacked an authoritative, low-cost channel for such cross-border IP questions. On 1 October 2026, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) and Spain’s Office of Patents and Trademarks (OEPM) jointly launched the “China–Spain IP Liaison Mechanism” pilot, opening an official advisory channel for enterprises of both countries operating in the other’s market.
1. What is the China–Spain IP Liaison Mechanism
The China–Spain IP Liaison Mechanism is a cross-border IP cooperation pilot agreed between CNIPA and OEPM. Each office appoints one IP liaison officer to provide one-to-one advisory services on IP issues faced by the other country’s enterprises — Chinese companies in Spain, and Spanish companies in China. It is not an examination or enforcement procedure, but an official “ask the right person, at the right door” guidance channel that helps businesses clarify issues early.
2. How the pilot works
- One liaison officer per side: CNIPA appoints Chinese liaison officer Li Ruifeng (email ip_support@cnipa.gov.cn); OEPM appoints Spanish liaison officer María Meseguer Becerra (email Maria.Meseguer@oepm.es).
- Scope: answers and routing guidance on trademark, patent and design issues encountered in the other country.
- Duration: a one-year pilot running from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027.
3. What Chinese companies gain
- Free official access: obtain authoritative responses from both IP offices on Spanish-market questions without going through intermediaries.
- Less information asymmetry: learn the essentials of Spanish trademark registration, patent strategy and enforcement early, avoiding detours.
- Risk prevention: understand the rules before filing or facing a dispute, averting common pitfalls such as squatting and infringement.
4. How it differs from PPH and GI mutual protection
- Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH): speeds up examination of a patent already granted in one country when filed in the other — examination acceleration.
- Geographical indication (GI) mutual protection: mutual recognition of specific GI products in the other market.
- Liaison mechanism: solves “nowhere to ask” for day-to-day enquiries — an information and service entry point. The three are complementary, forming an IP support network for going global.
5. Practical tips for going global
- Plan early: assess trademark and patent strategy before entering Spain; don’t wait until squatting happens.
- Use the right channel: for Spanish-market IP questions, email CNIPA’s Chinese liaison officer; Spanish companies’ China-related enquiries go to OEPM’s Spanish liaison officer.
- Keep records: retain correspondence from consultations and filings to support later enforcement or opposition defence.
- Combine protection: protect trademarks, patents and designs by category; use our trademark classes tool to map boundaries and our patent annuity monitor to prevent rights lapsing for non-payment.
FAQ
Q: Is the China–Spain liaison mechanism an enforcement or examination procedure?
A: No. It is an official advisory and guidance channel; liaison officers answer enterprises’ IP questions in the other country and it replaces no administrative or judicial procedure.
Q: How can a Chinese company contact the Chinese liaison officer?
A: Email CNIPA’s IP liaison officer at ip_support@cnipa.gov.cn for questions on Spanish-market trademarks, patents and the like.
Q: When does the pilot end?
A: The pilot runs for one year, from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027.
Q: Beyond the liaison mechanism, what other IP support exists for entering Spain?
A: Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) and China–EU GI mutual protection are also relevant; combine them with trademark classification and annuity monitoring for layered protection.
Source: China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), “China’s CNIPA and Spain’s OEPM Launch the ‘China–Spain IP Liaison Mechanism’ Pilot” (1 October 2026). Original: https://www.cnipa.gov.cn/art/2026/10/1/art_53_208405.html
This article introduces the intellectual property system of the People’s Republic of China (China); please refer to the latest official regulations for specifics.