Service 03
Compliance & licensing
I’m not a law firm and I don’t give legal advice. Filings are executed by licensed Chinese agents and attorneys I work with. My role is to coordinate the local entity, negotiate the agreements, prepare bilingual documentation and keep the timeline moving.
What this looks like
Paperwork that clears the first review
Filings get rejected for small reasons: a mismatched address, a landing page that loads too slowly, a category that reads wrong in Chinese. I chase those in person.
- ICP filing executed by a licensed agent, issued in your company name
- Algorithm filing scoped before you ship a recommendation feed
- Trademark filed first — squatters are faster than you think
first review”>| Service | What it is | Who needs it | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICP filing 备案 | Mandatory registration for any website hosted on mainland Chinese servers | Anyone hosting a site or app in China — including a landing page. APP备案 for app stores | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Algorithm filing (CAC) | Filing for recommendation algorithms and generative AI services offered to Chinese users | Apps with feeds or recommendations, AI features, mini-programs | 4–8 weeks |
| Trademark registration | Filing with CTMO; Madrid Protocol or direct national filing | Any brand planning to sell, advertise or enforce rights in China | 8–12 months |
Sequence
The order that saves months
File the trademark first (8–12 months, and squatters are fast) → entity (4–8 weeks) → ICP (2 to 3 weeks) → ad accounts (1–3 weeks). Starting in this order saves months later; starting with ad accounts first is the single most common — and most expensive — mistake.
What a completed filing looks like
Filings are executed by licensed Chinese agents. I coordinate, translate, chase and hand you the paperwork — the licenses below sit in your company name.
ICP
ICP 备案 — domain filing
Filed against your entity and domain, shown in the footer of your China site. 2 to 3 weeks. Required before any mainland-hosted landing page goes live. Full ICP filing guide →
CAC
算法备案 — algorithm filing
Required for apps and services that recommend content or use generative models with Chinese users. Describes what the model does and how data is handled.
TM
商标注册 — trademark
Class 9 / 35 / 42 filings through CTMO or the Madrid Protocol. 8–12 months, no local entity needed. File before you spend on ads.
FAQ
- Do I need ICP if I only run ads?
- If the landing page is hosted in mainland China, yes. If it’s hosted overseas, no filing — but load times and ad review both suffer.
- Can a foreign company own a Chinese trademark?
- Yes, directly through CTMO or via the Madrid Protocol. No local entity required.
- What exactly is algorithm filing?
- A filing describing how a recommendation or generative model works and how user data is handled, required for services offered to Chinese users.