Account terms

1. Your engagement, service provider and authorised collection

The contract for the identified trademark or design services is with 深圳市智圈知识产权代理事务所（普通合伙） (the mainland China professional agency trading as Zhiquan IP, "Zhiquan", "we" or "us"). EastFiling is the client-facing service brand, not a separate contracting entity. The instructing firm is our client unless a different arrangement is expressly agreed. The client, applicant or design owner, billing addressee and payer may be different and must be identified separately.

OpenPTO Co., Limited, Hong Kong ("OpenPTO"), is authorised by Zhiquan to collect payments and issue commercial invoices, receipts and related adjustment documents on Zhiquan's behalf. Payment made in accordance with the invoice instructions and actually received as cleared funds by OpenPTO discharges the corresponding payment obligation to Zhiquan to the extent of that payment, subject to any subsequent reversal. The client is not required to pay the same amount again because settlement between OpenPTO and Zhiquan is pending.

This collection and invoicing arrangement does not transfer Zhiquan's professional-service responsibility to OpenPTO. The invoice and its identified scope documents specify the matter, applicant or owner, jurisdiction, relevant mark/classes or design particulars, work ordered, price and billing stage.

2. Scope and who carries out the work

For an agreed standard initial filing service, we confirm the filing particulars, prepare and check the application within the agreed scope, obtain your final approval, arrange submission and provide the filing report, official receipt or application number when available. Trademark work includes agreed goods/services wording; design work includes review of supplied representations and filing particulars within the expressly agreed scope. Searches, drawings or redrawing, translations, monitoring and later work are included only where expressly stated.

China mainland filings are handled by Zhiquan. Work in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan is arranged through suitably qualified local professionals where required, with the handling arrangement identified for the matter. OpenPTO is not represented as holding filing qualifications in these jurisdictions. We retain responsibility for the services we undertake under the agreed engagement.

We may decline new instructions, or request clarification before acceptance, where conflicts, insufficient information, lack of authority, unlawful instructions, an unmet payment condition or an unmanageable deadline prevent proper handling. For an existing engagement, any suspension or termination remains subject to clause 8 and applicable professional obligations; it does not permit silently ignoring official correspondence.

3. Fees, official charges and later work

The approved tariff catalogue and the matter-specific price summary state the currency, billing stage, total and fee coverage. For a configured standard service, the price summary is generated automatically from the applicable catalogue version and the particulars you provide; no separate manual quotation is required. An incomplete tariff configuration is identified before submission as a payable instruction and does not treat an unknown cost as zero. The price summary remains subject to professional acceptance of the identified matter. The resulting Invoice records the accepted price and scope. A standard package that includes the relevant government application fee will not attract that same official fee a second time. An application-stage budget or design professional fee is not a complete payable total until all applicable required amounts have been confirmed. No amount described as unknown is treated as zero.

Unless expressly included, additional classes/items or designs, priority-related work, office action responses, oppositions, appeals, invalidation or cancellation, renewals, litigation, enforcement, translations and other third-party work or charges are separate. Additional work or charges require your written agreement before commitment. We do not charge again for work already included, or for correction solely attributable to our own error.

Ordinary complete price summaries and agreed exception quotes remain open for 14 calendar days unless a shorter stated validity applies. For a newly accepted trademark instruction under this version, the Invoice is normally due within three calendar days (72 hours) of issue, or at an expressly approved earlier deadline shown on that Invoice. Earlier issued Invoices and design matters keep their own accepted terms and due dates. A fee or billing-stage change must be agreed and recorded; it cannot be imposed by silently editing an issued Invoice.

4. Acceptance, invoicing and payment

Before you submit an instruction request, we provide the relevant terms, matter particulars and complete applicable price summary. Your recorded confirmation submits that identified scope and price for Zhiquan's professional acceptance; registration, uploading files and an automated submission receipt do not by themselves accept a matter or deadline. When Zhiquan accepts the same confirmed scope, price and terms, its acceptance is recorded and the Invoice is generated automatically. You do not need to confirm an unchanged price a second time. If a material change to scope, price, terms or pre-acceptance conditions is required, we identify the change and obtain your express agreement before accepting that changed instruction or committing the additional work. Manual quotations are reserved for genuinely non-standard work; maintaining standard tariff rules is not a client-by-client quotation step.

Following Zhiquan's recorded acceptance of your confirmed instruction at the applicable price, OpenPTO automatically issues an English commercial Invoice on Zhiquan's behalf. Issuance remains subject to accurate, approved payment instructions; any delay preserves the same acceptance and invoice identity, without creating duplicate charges. For new associates, full cleared payment is required before the agreed formal work starts, unless we expressly agree otherwise in writing. USD bank transfer to the designated OpenPTO Hong Kong account is the standard first-release method. No account wallet, automatic credit or monthly payment term is granted.

The payer bears sending and intermediary bank charges as disclosed on the invoice. Use the invoice reference and invoice currency. A transfer advice, a customer-entered payment record or a payment screenshot is not proof of cleared receipt. Peter Lin initially verifies actual receipts against bank records; a Receipt is then issued for the verified amount and its invoice allocations. Partial payment is not represented as full payment.

Known associates may combine payment of several identified invoices, with each allocation recorded separately. An unexplained third-party payment, shortfall, excess, wrong currency or late payment requires manual reconciliation. Do not infer a wallet balance, automatic surcharge or authority to reallocate money across unrelated clients. Report incorrect billing details before payment. Changes are recorded by linked corrections, credit notes or replacement documents, not by overwriting an issued document. Commercial invoices/receipts are not a promise of a mainland China VAT invoice or another jurisdiction's tax invoice.

Submitting a complete instruction is separate from professional acceptance and payment. We receive and save the instruction before payment. A card preference does not charge the client before acceptance and Invoice issue. Choosing to pay later, a card failure or a pending payment does not erase the instruction or grant credit. A checkout redirect is not evidence of cleared funds; formal filing still requires the agreed scope, confirmed payment, sufficient final documents and professional release.

5. Starting work, materials and final filing approval

Work starts when the agreed scope has been accepted, the required payment has cleared and the materials needed for that stage have been received. Necessary preliminary scope/conflict checks and receipt of materials to assess a quote may occur before payment. Use the authenticated, matter-specific upload facility for the categories of documents requested in your case. The facility is not an anonymous public file drop. Each file is associated with the instructing firm, matter, document type and version; technical processing or an upload receipt is not professional approval. If the facility is unavailable or a file is outside its supported limits, agree an alternative with peterlin@eastfiling.com and quote the matter reference. An agreed pre-acceptance upload or email review may be used to assess scope without accepting an urgent deadline. Do not upload unrelated identity records, client files or technical information that is not needed for the identified service.

Peter Lin records receipt, missing items and document versions. Receipt of an email or file, successful upload, a technical pre-check or security scanning does not establish legal completeness, authenticity, professional approval or readiness to file. Illustrative examples are explanatory only and are not official forms, signatures or a substitute for the verified form generated for your matter. Required representations and supporting materials depend on the jurisdiction, applicant and case type. You must provide accurate, complete information, genuine documents and authority to instruct for the applicant/owner; promptly disclose earlier filings, priority claims and relevant design disclosures.

Before submission, you must approve the exact final applicant/owner details, mark and goods/services or design representations, jurisdiction and other filing particulars. Approval must identify the final package version, whether confirmed in the portal or by recorded email. A material change invalidates the affected approval and requires a new confirmation. Customer approval and Peter's professional release are separate. Payment, an invoice, an internal case number or a release decision is not evidence of official filing.

6. Timing, communication and ongoing notices

Tell us about any deadline when instructing us and allow at least five business days for complete instructions before a filing deadline unless we agree a shorter period in writing. Filing targets depend on timely payment, documents, approval and office availability. An ordinary response target shown in the portal, including "usually within 12 hours", is a service target, not acceptance of an urgent deadline or an official filing guarantee.

We will notify you of material delays or missing information. Delays caused by incomplete, inaccurate or late instructions are assessed subject to our own duties and applicable law. Official processing times remain outside our control. An agreed shorter matter-specific timetable prevails over the ordinary preparation allowance.

While we remain the appointed representative or have undertaken the relevant reporting obligation, we will receive and communicate material official notices and identify next actions and verified deadlines. Work outside the included scope is quoted separately. Completion or archive of the initial filing stage does not by itself close the representative appointment, erase a deadline or stop those notices. On termination or transfer we address the necessary handover and applicable continuing duties.

7. Searches, design review and examination

We exercise reasonable care and skill in the agreed work. A preliminary search is limited by its stated scope, available records and date; it cannot identify every right or objection. For trademarks, similarity and related goods/services can matter even when marks are not identical. For designs, the supplied representations, prior disclosures and applicable substantive requirements can affect protection; a basic filing check is not a worldwide novelty, validity or freedom-to-operate opinion.

The relevant authority determines the application under its applicable procedures. We do not guarantee registration, validity, timing or freedom from third-party claims. Where a material issue arises, we will explain it and recommend the next step. Routine reporting already included in an agreed package is not charged again merely because a later event occurs.

8. Changes, cancellation and refunds

Either party may end the engagement on reasonable written notice, subject to applicable duties, notice of material consequences and any necessary handover. Fees are earned for work actually performed and agreed stages actually completed. We account for that work and official/third-party charges actually paid or committed with your authority, without counting the same cost twice.

Any balance for unperformed services and unused official or third-party fees is refunded. Completed work and non-recoverable authorised charges are not refundable, subject to applicable law. There is no hidden fixed cancellation percentage. The same accounting applies if we recommend stopping. A cancellation request is not itself a refund and cannot undo a filing already made.

OpenPTO processes an approved refund to the original verified payer through the original payment route where available. Any necessary exception must be verified and expressly approved in writing; bank charges are disclosed and dealt with consistently with the agreed refund and applicable law, not silently deducted. The refund is recorded as completed only when actual execution is evidenced. Credit notes and refund records identify the original invoice and payment. Unused money and agreed refunds are not extinguished by the professional-liability cap.

9. Confidentiality, client relationships and responsibility

We keep non-public information confidential and disclose it only as necessary for the engagement, authorised payment administration, legal compliance or your instructions. The applicable privacy notice identifies the operational storage and service-provider arrangements for uploaded documents, access controls, retention and deletion. We do not treat uploading as consent for unrelated marketing or unrestricted external AI processing. OpenPTO receives the financial and limited identifying information needed for collection, invoicing and records, not automatic access to the full technical file. Necessary information may be shared with the identified local filing professionals. Information submitted to authorities may become public under the relevant procedure.

Your introduced client remains your client. We will not use applicant/client details you supply for competing direct marketing that bypasses the instructing firm. Routine communications go through your nominated contacts; any necessary direct contact must be authorised or legally required. Applicant details are not automatically added as billing contacts or marketing recipients.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, Zhiquan's aggregate liability for the professional services in a matter is limited to the professional service fees actually received for that matter, including fees received by OpenPTO on Zhiquan's behalf, whether or not internally remitted. Government fees and separately identified third-party disbursements do not enlarge this professional-fee basis. The cap is not reset for each invoice or manipulated by an internal allocation.

To the extent lawfully permitted, individual staff do not undertake separate personal contractual liability. No provision excludes any liability or rights that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited, including any applicable mandatory protection in cases of fraud, wilful misconduct or gross negligence. The collection arrangement does not excuse OpenPTO's own obligations concerning money it receives. The effectiveness of any limitation remains subject to applicable law.

10. Written variations and governing law

A matter-specific variation expressly agreed in writing by you and Zhiquan takes precedence over these standard terms. An invoice change alone does not vary agreed terms. Keep the accepted terms version with the identified quote, invoice and final approval records; replacement versions do not retrospectively change existing engagements.

The engagement is governed by Hong Kong law and disputes are subject to the competent courts of Hong Kong, subject to any mandatory applicable rights. These terms apply to the trademark and design services identified in the invoice and agreed scope, not invention patents or utility models. Client-facing commercial invoices and these terms are in English; an accompanying Chinese workflow explanation is for operational assistance and does not silently amend the accepted English terms.

Your contact: Peter Lin | EastFiling / Zhiquan IP | peterlin@eastfiling.com | eastfiling.com

1. Your engagement, service provider and authorised collection

The contract for the identified trademark or design services is with 深圳市智圈知识产权代理事务所（普通合伙） (the mainland China professional agency trading as Zhiquan IP, "Zhiquan", "we" or "us"). EastFiling is the client-facing service brand, not a separate contracting entity. The instructing firm is our client unless a different arrangement is expressly agreed. The client, applicant or design owner, billing addressee and payer may be different and must be identified separately.

OpenPTO Co., Limited, Hong Kong ("OpenPTO"), is authorised by Zhiquan to collect payments and issue commercial invoices, receipts and related adjustment documents on Zhiquan's behalf. Payment made in accordance with the invoice instructions and actually received as cleared funds by OpenPTO discharges the corresponding payment obligation to Zhiquan to the extent of that payment, subject to any subsequent reversal. The client is not required to pay the same amount again because settlement between OpenPTO and Zhiquan is pending.

This collection and invoicing arrangement does not transfer Zhiquan's professional-service responsibility to OpenPTO. The invoice and its identified scope documents specify the matter, applicant or owner, jurisdiction, relevant mark/classes or design particulars, work ordered, price and billing stage.

2. Scope and who carries out the work

For an agreed standard initial filing service, we confirm the filing particulars, prepare and check the application within the agreed scope, obtain your final approval, arrange submission and provide the filing report, official receipt or application number when available. Trademark work includes agreed goods/services wording; design work includes review of supplied representations and filing particulars within the expressly agreed scope. Searches, drawings or redrawing, translations, monitoring and later work are included only where expressly stated.

China mainland filings are handled by Zhiquan. Work in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan is arranged through suitably qualified local professionals where required, with the handling arrangement identified for the matter. OpenPTO is not represented as holding filing qualifications in these jurisdictions. We retain responsibility for the services we undertake under the agreed engagement.

We may decline new instructions, or request clarification before acceptance, where conflicts, insufficient information, lack of authority, unlawful instructions, an unmet payment condition or an unmanageable deadline prevent proper handling. For an existing engagement, any suspension or termination remains subject to clause 8 and applicable professional obligations; it does not permit silently ignoring official correspondence.

3. Fees, official charges and later work

The approved tariff catalogue and the matter-specific price summary state the currency, billing stage, total and fee coverage. For a configured standard service, the price summary is generated automatically from the applicable catalogue version and the particulars you provide; no separate manual quotation is required. An incomplete tariff configuration is identified before submission as a payable instruction and does not treat an unknown cost as zero. The price summary remains subject to professional acceptance of the identified matter. The resulting Invoice records the accepted price and scope. A standard package that includes the relevant government application fee will not attract that same official fee a second time. An application-stage budget or design professional fee is not a complete payable total until all applicable required amounts have been confirmed. No amount described as unknown is treated as zero.

Unless expressly included, additional classes/items or designs, priority-related work, office action responses, oppositions, appeals, invalidation or cancellation, renewals, litigation, enforcement, translations and other third-party work or charges are separate. Additional work or charges require your written agreement before commitment. We do not charge again for work already included, or for correction solely attributable to our own error.

Ordinary complete price summaries and agreed exception quotes remain open for 14 calendar days unless a shorter stated validity applies. The invoice ordinarily falls due within 7 calendar days after issue, but no later than the quote validity or a specifically agreed earlier payment deadline. The exact dates appear in the quote/invoice. A fee or billing-stage change must be agreed and recorded; it cannot be imposed by silently editing an issued invoice.

4. Acceptance, invoicing and payment

Before you submit an instruction request, we provide the relevant terms, matter particulars and complete applicable price summary. Your recorded confirmation submits that identified scope and price for Zhiquan's professional acceptance; registration, uploading files and an automated submission receipt do not by themselves accept a matter or deadline. When Zhiquan accepts the same confirmed scope, price and terms, its acceptance is recorded and the Invoice is generated automatically. You do not need to confirm an unchanged price a second time. If a material change to scope, price, terms or pre-acceptance conditions is required, we identify the change and obtain your express agreement before accepting that changed instruction or committing the additional work. Manual quotations are reserved for genuinely non-standard work; maintaining standard tariff rules is not a client-by-client quotation step.

Following Zhiquan's recorded acceptance of your confirmed instruction at the applicable price, OpenPTO automatically issues an English commercial Invoice on Zhiquan's behalf. Issuance remains subject to accurate, approved payment instructions; any delay preserves the same acceptance and invoice identity, without creating duplicate charges. For new associates, full cleared payment is required before the agreed formal work starts, unless we expressly agree otherwise in writing. USD bank transfer to the designated OpenPTO Hong Kong account is the standard first-release method. No account wallet, automatic credit or monthly payment term is granted.

The payer bears sending and intermediary bank charges as disclosed on the invoice. Use the invoice reference and invoice currency. A transfer advice, a customer-entered payment record or a payment screenshot is not proof of cleared receipt. Peter Lin initially verifies actual receipts against bank records; a Receipt is then issued for the verified amount and its invoice allocations. Partial payment is not represented as full payment.

Known associates may combine payment of several identified invoices, with each allocation recorded separately. An unexplained third-party payment, shortfall, excess, wrong currency or late payment requires manual reconciliation. Do not infer a wallet balance, automatic surcharge or authority to reallocate money across unrelated clients. Report incorrect billing details before payment. Changes are recorded by linked corrections, credit notes or replacement documents, not by overwriting an issued document. Commercial invoices/receipts are not a promise of a mainland China VAT invoice or another jurisdiction's tax invoice.

5. Starting work, materials and final filing approval

Work starts when the agreed scope has been accepted, the required payment has cleared and the materials needed for that stage have been received. Necessary preliminary scope/conflict checks and receipt of materials to assess a quote may occur before payment. Use the authenticated, matter-specific upload facility for the categories of documents requested in your case. The facility is not an anonymous public file drop. Each file is associated with the instructing firm, matter, document type and version; technical processing or an upload receipt is not professional approval. If the facility is unavailable or a file is outside its supported limits, agree an alternative with peterlin@eastfiling.com and quote the matter reference. An agreed pre-acceptance upload or email review may be used to assess scope without accepting an urgent deadline. Do not upload unrelated identity records, client files or technical information that is not needed for the identified service.

Peter Lin records receipt, missing items and document versions. Receipt of an email or file, successful upload, a technical pre-check or security scanning does not establish legal completeness, authenticity, professional approval or readiness to file. Illustrative examples are explanatory only and are not official forms, signatures or a substitute for the verified form generated for your matter. Required representations and supporting materials depend on the jurisdiction, applicant and case type. You must provide accurate, complete information, genuine documents and authority to instruct for the applicant/owner; promptly disclose earlier filings, priority claims and relevant design disclosures.

Before submission, you must approve the exact final applicant/owner details, mark and goods/services or design representations, jurisdiction and other filing particulars. Approval must identify the final package version, whether confirmed in the portal or by recorded email. A material change invalidates the affected approval and requires a new confirmation. Customer approval and Peter's professional release are separate. Payment, an invoice, an internal case number or a release decision is not evidence of official filing.

6. Timing, communication and ongoing notices

Tell us about any deadline when instructing us and allow at least five business days for complete instructions before a filing deadline unless we agree a shorter period in writing. Filing targets depend on timely payment, documents, approval and office availability. An ordinary response target shown in the portal, including "usually within 12 hours", is a service target, not acceptance of an urgent deadline or an official filing guarantee.

We will notify you of material delays or missing information. Delays caused by incomplete, inaccurate or late instructions are assessed subject to our own duties and applicable law. Official processing times remain outside our control. An agreed shorter matter-specific timetable prevails over the ordinary preparation allowance.

While we remain the appointed representative or have undertaken the relevant reporting obligation, we will receive and communicate material official notices and identify next actions and verified deadlines. Work outside the included scope is quoted separately. Completion or archive of the initial filing stage does not by itself close the representative appointment, erase a deadline or stop those notices. On termination or transfer we address the necessary handover and applicable continuing duties.

7. Searches, design review and examination

We exercise reasonable care and skill in the agreed work. A preliminary search is limited by its stated scope, available records and date; it cannot identify every right or objection. For trademarks, similarity and related goods/services can matter even when marks are not identical. For designs, the supplied representations, prior disclosures and applicable substantive requirements can affect protection; a basic filing check is not a worldwide novelty, validity or freedom-to-operate opinion.

The relevant authority determines the application under its applicable procedures. We do not guarantee registration, validity, timing or freedom from third-party claims. Where a material issue arises, we will explain it and recommend the next step. Routine reporting already included in an agreed package is not charged again merely because a later event occurs.

8. Changes, cancellation and refunds

Either party may end the engagement on reasonable written notice, subject to applicable duties, notice of material consequences and any necessary handover. Fees are earned for work actually performed and agreed stages actually completed. We account for that work and official/third-party charges actually paid or committed with your authority, without counting the same cost twice.

Any balance for unperformed services and unused official or third-party fees is refunded. Completed work and non-recoverable authorised charges are not refundable, subject to applicable law. There is no hidden fixed cancellation percentage. The same accounting applies if we recommend stopping. A cancellation request is not itself a refund and cannot undo a filing already made.

OpenPTO processes an approved refund to the original verified payer through the original payment route where available. Any necessary exception must be verified and expressly approved in writing; bank charges are disclosed and dealt with consistently with the agreed refund and applicable law, not silently deducted. The refund is recorded as completed only when actual execution is evidenced. Credit notes and refund records identify the original invoice and payment. Unused money and agreed refunds are not extinguished by the professional-liability cap.

9. Confidentiality, client relationships and responsibility

We keep non-public information confidential and disclose it only as necessary for the engagement, authorised payment administration, legal compliance or your instructions. The applicable privacy notice identifies the operational storage and service-provider arrangements for uploaded documents, access controls, retention and deletion. We do not treat uploading as consent for unrelated marketing or unrestricted external AI processing. OpenPTO receives the financial and limited identifying information needed for collection, invoicing and records, not automatic access to the full technical file. Necessary information may be shared with the identified local filing professionals. Information submitted to authorities may become public under the relevant procedure.

Your introduced client remains your client. We will not use applicant/client details you supply for competing direct marketing that bypasses the instructing firm. Routine communications go through your nominated contacts; any necessary direct contact must be authorised or legally required. Applicant details are not automatically added as billing contacts or marketing recipients.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, Zhiquan's aggregate liability for the professional services in a matter is limited to the professional service fees actually received for that matter, including fees received by OpenPTO on Zhiquan's behalf, whether or not internally remitted. Government fees and separately identified third-party disbursements do not enlarge this professional-fee basis. The cap is not reset for each invoice or manipulated by an internal allocation.

To the extent lawfully permitted, individual staff do not undertake separate personal contractual liability. No provision excludes any liability or rights that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited, including any applicable mandatory protection in cases of fraud, wilful misconduct or gross negligence. The collection arrangement does not excuse OpenPTO's own obligations concerning money it receives. The effectiveness of any limitation remains subject to applicable law.

10. Written variations and governing law

A matter-specific variation expressly agreed in writing by you and Zhiquan takes precedence over these standard terms. An invoice change alone does not vary agreed terms. Keep the accepted terms version with the identified quote, invoice and final approval records; replacement versions do not retrospectively change existing engagements.

The engagement is governed by Hong Kong law and disputes are subject to the competent courts of Hong Kong, subject to any mandatory applicable rights. These terms apply to the trademark and design services identified in the invoice and agreed scope, not invention patents or utility models. Client-facing commercial invoices and these terms are in English; an accompanying Chinese workflow explanation is for operational assistance and does not silently amend the accepted English terms.

Your contact: Peter Lin | EastFiling / Zhiquan IP | peterlin@eastfiling.com | eastfiling.com