3-A Sanitary Standards Inc. (SSI), Mclean, Va., said the 3-A Symbol and other marks were legally registered in China. Registration of the trademarks by the National Intellectual Property Administration of the People’s Republic of China provides 3-A SSI licensees in China essential new protection against counterfeits and enhances broader international protection of the 3-A SSI marks.

“China trademark registration is critical because China has not been in compliance with international trade conventions that respect U.S. trademarks,” noted 3-A SSI International Trade Counsel Bart Fisher. “The 3-A China licensees and 3-A SSI now have recognition and standing to bring infringement cases in China for the first time.”

According to 3-A SSI, China trademark authorities issued registration certificates in six classes of equipment, which encompass the types of processing equipment covered by 3-A Sanitary Standards and eligible for 3-A Symbol authorization. The legal registration of the 3-A Symbol and other marks is described in a special “Advisory on 3-A Marks in China,” available at www.3-a.org/Admin/Announcements.  The advisory, available in English and Chinese, details all of the terms and conditions for legal use of the 3-A trademarks and sets out the major prohibitions on infringements.

According to the advisory, “3-A is entitled to use those registered trademarks and license other parties to use the same. Any use of the 3-A’s registered mark(s) without 3-A’s license constitutes trademark infringement.”

3-A SSI said the 3-A Symbol is a registered mark used since 1956 to identify equipment that meets 3-A Sanitary Standards for design and fabrication. Voluntary use of the 3-A Symbol on dairy and food equipment conveys assurance that equipment meets sanitary standards, provides accepted criteria to equipment manufacturers for sanitary design, and establishes guidelines for uniform evaluation and compliance by sanitarians. 3-A Sanitary Standards are widely known and used in many markets around the world.

“The work to get these registrations began in earnest in 2016 due to a spiraling problem with counterfeits from China. Everyone involved in sourcing authentic 3-A equipment from China will now benefit from this major action,” said Timothy Rugh, executive director, 3-A SSI. “The new 3-A registrations will help protect the health and safety of the American consumers.”