A comprehensive reference for understanding every search field available in China’s trademark database via the TMkoo API.
1. Search Type searchType
Determines what you are searching for and how the database matches your input.
Allowed values:
1 — Trademark Name — Matches trademark name text. Supports partial/contains matching.
2 — Registration Number — Search by application number or registration number (e.g. “70974327”).
3 — Applicant Name — Search by trademark holder/applicant name (e.g. “Huawei” finds all Huawei trademarks).
4 — Comprehensive — Multi-field combined search across name, applicant, number simultaneously.
sim (endpoint: search_similar.php) — Similar/Approximate — Fuzzy phonetic and visual similarity search for near-match trademarks.
2. Search Term keyword
The main text input you want to search for. Depending on the Search Type, this could be a trademark name (e.g. “Nike”), a registration number, or an applicant’s name.
Tip: For trademark name searches, try partial words to catch variations — “micro” will match “Microsoft”, “MicroTech”, etc.
3. Nice Class intCls
Filters results to a specific International (Nice) Classification category (1–45). Each class covers a distinct category of goods or services.
Examples: 9 = Scientific Instruments & Software, 25 = Clothing & Footwear, 35 = Advertising & Sales, 42 = Technology Services.
Note: A single trademark may be registered in multiple classes. Leave blank to search all.
4. Legal Status legalStatus
Filters by the current procedural status of the trademark application. Multiple values can be combined using commas.
Available status codes:
yzc = Registered — Fully registered and in force.
ycs = Preliminary Exam Published — Passed initial review, in opposition period.
dsc = Pending Review — Under substantive examination.
byy = Re-examination — Under review after a rejection.
ybz = Rejected — Application was refused.
ywx = Invalid/Expired — No longer in force.
yxz = Renewed — Registration has been renewed.
5. Application Year sqrqYear
Limits results to trademarks filed in specific years. Useful for historical analysis or narrowing down large result sets.
Format: Comma-separated years — 2025,2024,2023.
Example: 2024 returns only trademarks filed in 2024.
6. Agent / Representative agent
In China, most trademark applications are filed through a registered trademark agent. This field lets you search by the agent’s name or agency.
Use case: Find all trademarks handled by a specific law firm or IP agency.
Note: This field is returned by the API; filter support depends on the search type used.
7. Additional Filters (API v3.0)
These advanced parameters are available in the TMkoo API when you need more precise control:
needAggregate=true — Returns summary statistics grouped by legal status and application year.
pageSize — Number of results per page (max recommended: 50).
pageNo — Page number for paginated results.
regIssue — Registration announcement/gazette issue number (returned in results, may be filterable).
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