China Domain Name And Trademark Scam Emails

China Domain Name and Trademark Scam Emails: How to Recognize Them and What to Do

An email arrives from China warning that someone is about to register your company's name. Sometimes it comes from a supposed domain registrar claiming another business wants your name as a Chinese domain. Other times, a Chinese intellectual property firm says someone has applied to register your trademark and that you have only a short time to oppose it. Our China lawyers have dealt with hundreds of these emails over the past two decades. Most have been scams or sales solicitations, but some trademark warnings identify genuine applications with real deadlines. Either way, do not reply to the sender and do not pay it. Check the claim yourself or through your own lawyer.

Companies that paid these senders spent anywhere from $500 to $3,500. Roughly a third were simply ghosted. Another third were ghosted and then, within a few weeks, someone tried to hold their trademark for ransom, usually for $10,000 or more. Only the last third had paid a real law firm or trademark agent that challenged the registration as promised and then filed a trademark application for the company. Those are bad odds for a problem you can check yourself.

How the China Domain Name Registration Scam Works

The domain-name version has been circulating for more than 20 years. When we first wrote about it in 2009, our lawyers had already seen at least fifty of these emails, and we have reviewed many more since then. The wording changes, but the sender usually claims another company has applied to register your company name, product name, or trademark under China's .cn or .中国 domain extensions, sometimes along with .hk or other Asian domains.

The supposed registrar says it has discovered a conflict with your existing name and wants to know whether the applicant is your distributor, business partner, or authorized representative. The email suggests you have only a short time to stop the registration. If you object, the sender offers to register the domains for you, often at inflated prices or with expensive multiyear commitments. Other versions claim the domains have already been registered and offer to arrange their transfer for a fee.

These emails are generally sales pitches disguised as trademark protection notices. Ordinary domain registration is not a trademark-clearance proceeding in which a registrar must obtain permission from every business that might have rights in a similar name. The China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) generally operates .cn registration on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to applicable registration requirements and restrictions. An unfamiliar company's claim that it must consult you before processing someone else's application gives you no reason to believe the application exists.

Years ago, when more American businesspeople were traveling to China, we noticed something odd. Some of these emails arrived a week or two after someone returned from a China trip. It happened often enough that we wondered how the senders knew which companies to contact, though we never established where they obtained their information. Whoever they were targeting got scared. Much of the time we would run a search, find no filings, tell the client it should get a China trademark anyway, and then get it for them.

Examples of China Domain Name Scam Emails

One of our lawyers received the following email, which her email system had already placed in its spam folder. The sender claimed to be protecting the recipient against an unauthorized registration. It provided no evidence that anyone had actually applied for the domain.

We are China’s internet domain services company, and last week, we received an application from a Chinese company that has requested “Example USA Company” as their internet name and China (.CN) domain name. But after checking into it, we learned that this name conflicts with your company name or trademark. To deal with this matter better, it’s necessary to send an email to you and confirm whether this company is your distributor or business partner in China and to confirm that you authorized this domain registration Please respond soonest.

Another version makes the supposed threat seem larger by listing several Asian domain extensions. It also identifies a purported applicant, which can make the message appear more credible. Here is another actual example we received:

I am grateful for you checking this letter out. We are a Chinese domain registrar. Recently, we received a registration request from “ABC Technology Ltd” applying to register Example brand and domain names(.cn, .hk, etc.), which have the same main body as your company’s name. We are sending this letter to confirm with your company whether you authorize them to register those names. Please give me your thoughts ASAP to let us carry on, Thanks.

The .cn extension belongs to mainland China's domain system, while .hk is Hong Kong's country-code domain and operates under separate rules. Listing them together establishes neither a genuine application nor a legal conflict. Both emails rely on the recipient's fear that another company is about to take something valuable. Neither supplies information that would justify paying the sender or disclosing details about your company's customers, suppliers, or distributors.

How China Trademark Scam Emails Work

The trademark version is more complicated because it often refers to a genuine legal procedure. These emails usually come from someone claiming to work for a Chinese law firm, trademark agency, or intellectual property research company. The sender says another business has applied to register a mark identical or similar to yours, that the application has been published in China's Trademark Gazette, and that the deadline for filing an opposition is approaching.

A typical email looks like this:

Dear [owner of US trademark]:

According to our trademark research team, the following mark has been published in the Chinese Trademark Gazette on [date]. We note that this mark is identical to a registration owned by your company.

[details of allegedly published mark]

The Chinese Trademark Office has already completed its examination of this mark and the mark is now open to opposition until [deadline]. The deadline is not extendable. If no one files an opposition before the deadline, the mark will proceed to registration.

Please let us know if we can be of assistance in opposing this mark.

[name of Chinese IP firm]

This email deserves more careful treatment than the domain-registration warning because it describes a real procedure. China publishes trademark applications that have passed preliminary examination, and eligible parties can oppose them during a limited period. Under the law in effect through December 31, 2026, that period is three months from publication. China's revised Trademark Law, adopted in June 2026 and effective January 1, 2027, reduces the opposition period to two months. The applicable deadline for a particular application must be determined under the governing law and the application's publication records.

The shorter deadline makes it more important for companies with valuable Chinese trademarks to monitor new applications rather than depend on unsolicited warnings. We explain the practical consequences in Five Practical Steps Foreign Brands Should Take to Prepare for China's New Trademark Law. A company that first learns of a conflicting application near the end of its opposition period has little time to investigate the applicant, evaluate its legal position, and prepare an opposition.

Some unsolicited trademark emails identify applications that actually exist. Some come from legitimate Chinese law firms or trademark agents that will perform the work they offer. That does not establish that the recipient has valid grounds to oppose the application or that an opposition is worth the expense. It also does not mean the sender is the right person to retain.

These senders email thousands of companies and make their money from the few that answer. Filing for the brand of a company that ignores them makes no economic sense, but a company that writes back worried has just shown it will pay to keep its name. Answering one of these emails, especially the trademark version, greatly increases your odds of ending up with a real China trademark problem. Even with the real law firms and trademark agents, it sometimes seemed they tried to register the name only after they knew they had a client who would pay to challenge it.

The sensible response is to have a China trademark lawyer you choose check the application promptly. If the application exists and threatens your rights, the opposition deadline matters, and waiting can limit your options. You have no reason to engage the person who sent the email in order to conduct that investigation.

What to Do When You Receive a Domain or Trademark Registration Warning

Do Not Reply to the Sender

Do not respond to the sender at all. Avoid payment links and unexpected attachments, and do not provide business documents, passwords, or registrar-account information. Responding confirms that your email address is active and that the subject interests you, which can invite more solicitations. You can investigate a legitimate domain or trademark problem without involving the person who contacted you.

A stranger's demand for an immediate answer means nothing. A genuine trademark opposition deadline, however, is a different matter and needs prompt verification. If a message claims that a domain you already own is about to expire, check its status by logging directly into your account with your actual registrar. Renewal problems can be serious, but an unexpected email is not a reliable source for determining whether one exists.

Check the Domain Registration Yourself

Start with the exact domains named in the email. example.cn, example.com.cn, and example.中国 are different registrations, and a warning mentioning all three does not mean any of them has been taken. Check any Chinese-language version of your brand that customers actually use. A domain the sender wants you to purchase may be entirely unregistered.

For .cn and .中国 domains, use CNNIC's official WHOIS lookup to check whether the domain has been registered. CNNIC also provides registration instructions and information on authorized registrars. For generic domains such as .com and .net, use ICANN's Registration Data Lookup. An established registrar you select independently can also help determine whether the names are available.

These searches can show whether a domain is registered, which registrar manages it, and what ownership information is publicly available. Some registrant information is withheld, and registration databases do not necessarily disclose applications that have not been completed. If a search identifies an existing registration, preserve the date and other available information. Check how the domain is being used, bearing in mind that a domain can be configured for email even when it has no visible website.

If a domain is available and genuinely important to your business, register it through a reputable provider. You do not need to purchase it through the person who sent the warning. For .cn domains, use a registrar familiar with CNNIC's registration and identity-verification requirements.

Have Your Own Lawyer Check the Trademark Claim

China's official trademark records can be searched through the China National Intellectual Property Administration's trademark search system. A search can identify applications, registrations, applicants, publication dates, and the goods or services involved. CNIPA's public database is not updated in real time, so the absence of an application from a search does not conclusively establish that nothing has been filed.

Your own China trademark lawyer should determine whether a particular application exists, which marks and goods it covers, and whether your company has legally sufficient grounds and standing to oppose it. If an opposition is warranted, counsel needs to act within the applicable deadline. A published application that threatens an important brand deserves attention even when the person who notified you has no legitimate reason to be involved.

If the application described in the email cannot be verified, there is no reason to pay the sender for an opposition. Your lawyer's search may nevertheless reveal that your business should be registering its own marks. That is a separate decision, based on what your company does and which rights it needs, rather than on the urgency created by an unsolicited email.

If the mark has already been registered, the opposition procedure is generally no longer available. Depending on the circumstances, other options include seeking invalidation, negotiating a transfer, or pursuing cancellation for non-use when the statutory requirements are satisfied. Those remedies can be slower and more expensive than addressing a conflicting application during the opposition period.

Decide Whether Your Business Needs China Trademark Protection

Well over half the companies that call us about these emails have no need for a China trademark at all. Figuring that out is the first thing we do, and we never charge the ones that clearly don't need one. We remember a midsized dairy company in the Midwest and a plumbing supply business in the South that were worried their names were somehow at risk in the United States because of warnings from China. Once we understood their businesses and what the emails actually claimed, we explained why the supposed China problem did not threaten their U.S. trademark rights. Neither company needed the Chinese trademark services being pitched.

The analysis changes when a company manufactures branded products in China, sells there, licenses its brand, works with Chinese distributors, or is preparing to enter the market. Those businesses have real trademark exposure even when the unsolicited warning is fraudulent. Manufacturing in China solely for export does not eliminate the risk, since another party's China trademark registration can interfere with production or shipments. In those circumstances, a carefully chosen China trademark registration is usually more important than buying numerous defensive domains.

For domain names, the decision depends more directly on how customers find your business and whether a similar domain poses a meaningful risk of confusion or impersonation. An American industrial company manufacturing components in China may have little reason to maintain a .cn website. A consumer brand with substantial Chinese sales has more to lose if someone uses a Chinese-language version of its name to divert customers. Buying every available extension or spelling rarely makes sense, especially when each registration creates ongoing renewal and account-management obligations.

What If You Already Responded or Paid?

Replying to an email does not mean you have lost your trademark or domain. Stop communicating with the sender, and preserve the correspondence and any documents you received. Do not pay additional fees simply because the sender becomes more insistent. If you provided payment details, contact your bank or card issuer promptly about protective steps and possible recovery.

If you disclosed passwords, authentication codes, or registrar-account access, change the credentials immediately and contact your actual registrar. Have your IT personnel review the account and check for unauthorized changes to DNS records, registration contacts, or security settings. If you supplied company documents or other sensitive information, assess what was disclosed and whether additional protective measures are necessary.

Companies that paid for domain registrations should confirm whether the domains were actually registered, who owns them, and whether the company controls the registration account. If the payment was for a trademark opposition, have independent counsel verify that the opposition was filed and determine the status of the application. Keep invoices, payment confirmations, and the sender's promises about what it would do. A completed registration or opposition does not establish that the original solicitation was justified, and paying for a service does not mean it was necessary.

What If Someone Really Has Registered Your Domain Name or Trademark?

Recovering a Domain Name Registered by Someone Else

Finding a domain resembling your company's name is different from receiving an unverified warning. Someone registering example.cn when you own example.com has not necessarily violated your rights. The registrant could have a legitimate business with a similar name, or the domain could have been registered for reasons unrelated to your company. The legal analysis changes when the registration or its use infringes your rights, particularly when it involves impersonation, customer diversion, or counterfeit sales.

Before accusing the registrant of wrongdoing, preserve the evidence. Record the registration date, publicly available ownership information, relevant webpages, and any offers to sell the domain. Gather proof of your own rights and when your company began using the name. Those dates and the registrant's conduct can be important in determining whether the domain was registered or used in bad faith.

Disputes involving .cn and .中国 domains can be brought under China's country-code domain-name dispute resolution policy, including through the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The administrative procedure applies only to domains registered for less than three years. A complainant must establish the required rights and grounds for relief, including that the registrant lacks legitimate rights or interests and that the domain was registered or used in bad faith. The three-year limit concerns that administrative procedure; other legal remedies can remain available for older registrations. WIPO explains these rules in its guide to .cn and .中国 domain disputes.

The rules differ for generic domains such as .com and .net, which ordinarily fall under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP). The standard UDRP generally requires proof of bad faith in both registration and use, along with the other required elements. China's policy can protect certain legally recognized rights in names beyond registered trademarks, while the UDRP requires trademark rights. The applicable domain extension determines which dispute policy governs, not merely where the registrant is located.

Sometimes buying the domain is cheaper than fighting over it. Other situations justify an administrative dispute proceeding or litigation, particularly when the registrant is actively misleading customers. The strength of your rights, the conduct involved, and the likely cost of recovering the domain should drive the decision. Our article How to Stop China-Based Domain Name Theft discusses enforcement options in more detail.

What If Someone Has Registered Your Trademark in China?

An unauthorized China trademark registration can cause considerably more trouble than an unwanted domain. China generally follows a first-to-file system, and a trademark registration in the United States, Europe, Canada, or Australia does not automatically confer the same rights in mainland China. A Chinese company that registers your brand can sometimes use its registration to interfere with manufacturing, sales, or exports, even when your business used the brand in another country for years.

Some trademark squatters go further, using China Customs registrations, online marketplaces, and other pressure tactics to force foreign companies to pay. We describe these tactics in Trademark Squatters Are Coming for Your Supply Chain in Swarms Now. These are genuine commercial threats, and they deserve a different response from an unsolicited email that merely claims someone wants your name.

The available remedies depend on the facts and the registration's status. An application still within the opposition period presents different options from a registered mark that has been in place for years. Prior rights, bad-faith filing, an existing business relationship, and other circumstances can provide grounds to challenge a mark, but the strength of those grounds must be assessed under Chinese law. A registered trademark can also become vulnerable to non-use cancellation after three consecutive years of qualifying non-use, subject to the applicable requirements.

Negotiating a purchase is sometimes the least expensive way to recover an important name, particularly when production or shipments are at risk. That does not mean every trademark registrant is entitled to demand whatever price it wants. We examine the company's legal position and business exposure before deciding whether to challenge the registration, negotiate, or pursue another practical solution.

How to Protect Your Domains and Trademarks Before Problems Arise

The easiest way to avoid many of these problems is to decide which names matter before someone else registers them. Protect the corporate brands and product names your business depends on, including important Chinese-language names where appropriate. Domain names should be registered through reputable providers and held in the correct company's name. Keep reliable records of renewals, registrar accounts, and who has authority to make changes.

Trademarks require their own decisions. Registering a .cn domain does not give you a China trademark, and registering a trademark does not reserve the corresponding domain. A company manufacturing or selling branded products in China should determine which marks, classes, and subclasses cover its business, rather than assuming an inexpensive filing service will make those decisions. Our article China Trademark Registration: Why U.S. Companies Need More Than a Filing Agent explains why the filing strategy often matters more than the filing itself.

We once dealt with an American company whose Chinese manufacturer had registered 17 of the company's trademarks without permission. The manufacturer then approached the American company's customers and offered them the same products at prices 40 percent lower. The problem had nothing to do with a fraudulent warning email. It was a genuine trademark ownership dispute arising from a manufacturing relationship, and one that timely trademark registration could have helped prevent. We discuss the matter in Manufacturing in China: China Trademark Registration Should Be the First Thing You Do.

Chinese-language brands deserve separate attention when customers, distributors, or manufacturers use Chinese names for your products. A foreign company can develop a commercially valuable Chinese name without ever choosing one itself. Its English trademark may provide little protection against someone registering that Chinese-language name. Companies doing meaningful business in China should consider whether the names their customers actually use need separate trademark and domain protection. Our China Trademark Registration Guide explains how to choose the names, classes, and subclasses worth protecting.

Your agreements with Chinese manufacturers and distributors should address ownership as well. A distributor sometimes registers a brand because it believes it is protecting its own market, while a manufacturer may register a mark appearing on the products it makes. Agreements should restrict unauthorized registrations, establish ownership, and require cooperation in transferring rights registered on your behalf. Our article China Trademarks and Your Chinese Distributor explains why these provisions matter when a commercial relationship ends.

China Domain Name And Trademark Scam Emails