Newsletter
Taiwan Intellectual Property Office Introduces New Automated Goods and Services Name Recommendation Feature within Trademark Search System
According to a press release issued by the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs on July 13, 2026, the "Automated Goods and Services Name Recommendation" feature has officially been launched within its Trademark Search System. This feature aims to optimize the search process for trademark applicants prior to filing. By utilizing an intelligent recommendation mechanism, it precisely identifies designated names for goods or services. This, in turn, mitigates the legal risk of receiving orders for amendment due to non-compliance with statutory standards, ultimately reducing examination time and administrative costs.
According to Article 19 of the Trademark Act, an application for trademark registration shall designate the goods or services for which the trademark is to be used, and the class(es) thereof shall be specified. The scope of the goods or services designated by a trademark directly and substantially dictates the boundaries of the trademark right (i.e., the scope of the exclusive right) and serves as the core basis for the TIPO’s substantive examination.
In past practice, trademark applicants frequently caused delays in the examination process due to the following reasons:
- Terms that are too broad or general: Failing to concretely and clearly define the scope of business operations.
- Ambiguous definitions or connotations: Leaving examiners unable to assess the likelihood of confusion based on the description.
- Incorrect classification: Violating the statutory standards for the classification of goods and services.
Each of the above situations prompts the TIPO to ex officio issue an official notice requesting amendments within a specified period. This not only increases the administrative burden on the applicants but also substantially prolongs the overall examination cycle of the case.
Currently, the automated recommendation feature in the Trademark Search System supports a maximum query volume of 20 items per search. Based on data attributes and legal effects, the recommendations are clearly categorized under the following three compliance labels:
- "Gazetted" Category:
a. Definition: Refers to statutory names currently published in the TIPO’s "Reference Material for the Classification of Goods and Services and Cross-Searches."
b. Legal Benefit: If an electronic application exclusively adopts names from this category for all its designated goods or services, it qualifies by law for a reduction in trademark registration application fees and automatically gains statutory eligibility for the "Fast-Track Examination" program.
- "Reference" Category:
a. Definition: Refers to names that hold reference value in examination practice and are permissible for designation.
b. Legal Benefit: Although registrable, names in this category do not qualify for fee reductions or fast-track examination programs.
- "Prohibited" Category:
a. Definition: Refers to names officially declared by the TIPO to be overly broad, ambiguous in meaning, or non-compliant with classification standards.
b. Legal Benefit: Trademark applicants should proactively avoid using these names; otherwise, the application is highly prone to rejection or an order for amendment.
In terms of legal nature, the "Automated Goods and Services Name Recommendation" feature serves merely as an administrative aid and does not constitute a final commitment by the TIPO regarding the approval or rejection of any specific trademark application. When planning trademark portfolios, applicants must remain mindful of the provisions of the Trademark Act and the TIPO's latest practical views. They should carefully review the scope of goods or services for which the trademark is "actually used" or "intended to be used" by the enterprise to conduct a comprehensive assessment. Applicants must not blindly rely on system recommendations while neglecting the substantive protection of their core commercial interests.
URL for the "Automated Goods and Services Name Recommendation" feature:
https://cloud.tipo.gov.tw/S282/S282WV1/#/classification-inquiry/goodname-classification