Which supplier claims you can actually verify
Buyer claims about a Chinese supplier fall into two groups, and the difference decides how much they are worth. The first group is registered rights: granted patents, registered trademarks, copyright registrations, and the business licence itself. Each is issued by a government office, carries a number, and can be queried by anyone — including you, without asking the supplier first.
The second group is everything else: certifications, "we supply this brand", capacity, returns rates. Some of it is true, some is not, and none of it sits on a public register. The practical rule is short: if a supplier cannot give you a number that a government database recognises, treat the claim as a marketing statement rather than a fact. That is not cynicism; it is the line between documents and claims.
How to check a Chinese patent number
A Chinese patent number follows a fixed pattern: ZL, then the four-digit year, then a single digit for the type of right, then the serial number and a check digit. That middle digit is the useful part — it tells you what you are looking at: 2 is a utility model, 3 is a design patent, 1 is an invention.
The commercial difference is large. A utility model protects how something works and is examined on form rather than on a full novelty search. A design patent protects how something looks. A supplier quoting "eight patents" where all eight are design patents is telling you something real, but weaker than the headline suggests. Counting patents by type takes ten seconds once you know the pattern.
The check itself takes minutes. Search the ZL number in CNIPA's patent search system and read what comes back: the title, the patent owner, the grant date, and whether the patent is still in force. Two things cause most of the surprises — a patent owned by a different company from the one you are paying, and a patent that has lapsed. On a supplier's slide deck, both look exactly like a live patent.
Trademarks, copyright and the business licence
Trademarks are registered with the same administration and carry a registration number and a class of goods. Ours is registered trademark no. 80143576, Class 9. It can be queried in CNIPA's trademark search exactly like a patent, and the register confirms both the owner and the goods the mark covers.
Copyright works differently, and it is the one buyers most often need and least often ask about. The certificate number is issued by the Copyright Protection Center of China; ours is 国作登字-2024-F-00271084. Copyright covers artwork and packaging design — the logo, the card artwork, the packaging layout. That matters when your artwork sits in someone else's factory, because it is the document that says who owns the picture on the box.
The business licence is the fourth document and the one that anchors the other three. It carries the company's legal name and its unified social credit code, and both must match the company named on your invoice, your contract and your payment instructions.
The one claim with no public register: certifications
Here is the part most buyers get burned on, so it is worth stating plainly. In China there is no public database for CE, RoHS, REACH or SGS documents. A supplier either paid a testing house for a report or they did not, and the only way to check is to demand the report itself and then confirm the report number with the laboratory that issued it. A certificate-looking graphic on a website proves nothing, because there is no register behind it to query.
We do not hold CE, RoHS, REACH or SGS certificates as standing documents, and we say so before you ask. Where a destination market requires testing, we arrange it as part of the order, and the cost and the lead time are quoted together with the goods. If a supplier says they "have CE" but will not send a report number you can confirm with the issuing lab, that answer is worth less than a plain no.
| What the supplier claims | The document that proves it | Where you verify it |
|---|---|---|
| Granted patent | Patent certificate showing a ZL number | CNIPA patent search — search the ZL number |
| Registered trademark | Trademark registration certificate with a number and class | CNIPA trademark search — search the number |
| Copyright | Copyright registration certificate | Copyright Protection Center of China — search the certificate number |
| That the company exists | Business licence + unified social credit code | National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System |
| CE / RoHS / REACH / SGS | A test report with a report number from a named laboratory | The issuing laboratory's own report lookup — there is no public register in China |
| Factory size and capacity | No public document exists | Your own visit or a third-party audit |
Whichever document you ask for, tie it to the company you are actually paying. A patent owned by an affiliate, a licence registered to a different address, or a report whose applicant name does not match the invoice are the three mismatches that cause most disputes. Send the model you are considering and we will answer document by document — WhatsApp +86 198 2632 0305 or feigangxia.com.
Need a price for your own model?
Send us your drawing or a reference photo. You will get unit price, sampling time and shipping cost within one working day.
Frequently asked questions
Do you hold CE or RoHS certificates?
No. We do not hold CE, RoHS, REACH or SGS certificates as standing documents, and we say that before you ask. Where your market requires testing, we arrange it as part of the order and quote the cost and lead time with the goods.
How many patents do you hold, and what kind are they?
Eight granted CNIPA patents: five design patents and three utility models covering rotating, folding and pressure-relief mechanisms. We send the patent numbers so you can query each one yourself. Patent numbers starting with a 2 in the fifth position are utility models; a 3 is a design patent.
Do you have a registered trademark and a copyright registration?
Yes. Registered trademark no. 80143576, Class 9, and copyright registration 国作登字-2024-F-00271084. Both can be queried in the official registers, and we will send the certificate scans with a quotation.
Can a supplier simply invent a patent number?
They can write any number they like, which is exactly why you query it. A number that returns nothing, or returns a different owner than the company on your invoice, is the whole point of the check.
What should I ask for before paying a deposit?
The business licence and unified social credit code; the patent numbers if patents are part of the pitch; the trademark registration number; and a test report number if certification is part of the pitch — each one tied to the company you are actually paying.
Models mentioned in this guide