Navigating Trademark Registration for Jian Sheng Ltd. and the Power of Greyscale Protection

CK serves as the president and legal representative of Jian Sheng Ltd., a printing factory established over 30 years ago in Dongguan. This Hong Kong-owned enterprise was originally founded by his grandfather in Shenzhen but was relocated to Dongguan in 2003. The leadership of the factory was formally passed on to CK just a year ago.

My acquaintance with CK spans over 6 years, having first met in Shanghai. Our initial meeting blossomed into a lasting friendship. Besides our personal connection, I am entrusted with managing CK’s various legal matters. This includes overseeing the lease of his land in Huizhou city. Additionally, his factory retains my services for daily legal concerns such as client agreements, supplier disputes, and the maintenance of the employee handbook, among others.

On this occasion, CK engaged our law firm for trademark registration services, seeking to protect his “Jiansheng” brand. We formally initiated the trademarking process in April.

Merely six months later, we achieved success in registering the trademark. As of the 28th of October, 2022, CK’s factory now holds the exclusive right to use the “Jiansheng” trademark within Category 40.

Category/Class 40 mainly includes book printing, label printing, plastic printing, digital printing and designing etc.

You might find it intriguing to learn why the word “JIAN” appears in grey rather than red, as it does in the original design. The rationale behind this choice is that registering the logo in grey under trademark law ensures protection across all colors. Conversely, if the logo were registered in red, the trademark protection would be limited to that specific hue. Consequently, I advise all my clients to convert their multicolored logos to grey. This strategy allows them the flexibility to employ any color for commercial use while enjoying comprehensive protection.

It’s important to note that both logos and word marks can be registered as trademarks, whether independently or in combination. Should you be considering trademark registration, please feel free to reach out to me for assistance!