How do you reclaim unauthorized copies of your app in China?
You reclaim an unauthorized copy by proving you own the app and then using each Chinese app store's intellectual-property complaint process to get the copy removed. The half most teams skip is the first one: a takedown only lands if you can assert enforceable rights inside China.
Standing comes from a software-copyright registration — your proof of ownership — ideally a registered trademark on the app's name, and a China entity or local agent to act for you in Mandarin. With that in hand, the store verifies you: your app signature when the copy shares your package name, or your copyright certificate, business license and the store's form when it doesn't. It then removes the copy and reassigns its downloads, ratings and reviews to your listing. Publishing your own app to take the copy's place runs through a separate app-filing (ICP) door. The sections below walk through self-assessment, the store-by-store reclaim steps, and the monitoring each new copy keeps demanding.
What is hard here is the standing and the filings, and they turn on your entity and your rights — not a single answer. Our China team can map your path with you →
What a reclaim actually turns on
| Fact | Primary source |
|---|---|
| In mainland China, a software-copyright registration is what proves you own the app. Under the Regulations on the Protection of Computer Software, the certificate the registry issues "是登记事项的初步证明" — preliminary proof of the registered facts — and, absent evidence to the contrary, the party credited on the software is presumed to be its developer (Art. 9). You own the copyright without registering, but the registration certificate is the document a Chinese app store will accept in a takedown. How to get a Software Copyright Certificate → | Regulations on the Protection of Computer Software, Art. 7 & 9 (State Council Order No. 632, 2013 amendment; effective 2013-03-01), gov.cn, retrieved 2026-10-07 |
| Software copyright is registered through one national body — the China Copyright Protection Center. The Measures for the Registration of Computer Software Copyright state "国家版权局认定中国版权保护中心为软件登记机构" — the National Copyright Administration designates the CPCC as the software registration body — and it must review an accepted application within 60 days, then issue the certificate. Foreign rights-holders register through the same channel, so you can establish provable ownership before you ever contact a store. | Measures for the Registration of Computer Software Copyright, Art. 6 & 20 (National Copyright Administration), via WIPO Lex, retrieved 2026-10-07 |
| A registered trademark strengthens a takedown — and in China the mark goes to whoever files first, not whoever used the name first. The Trademark Law gives the exclusive right to the registrant (Art. 3) and, where two parties apply for similar marks on similar goods, approves "申请在先的商标" — the earlier application (Art. 31). Foreign companies must apply through a legally established Chinese trademark agency (Art. 18). An unregistered brand can be claimed out from under you, which is why owning the mark — not merely using it — is part of asserting rights. | Trademark Law of the People's Republic of China, Art. 3, 18 & 31 (2019 revision), via WIPO Lex, retrieved 2026-10-07 |
| Publishing your legitimate app to replace the copy runs through China's app-filing (ICP) door. Under the MIIT's 2023 app-filing notice, an operator "未履行备案手续的，不得从事APP互联网信息服务" — may not provide app internet-information services without completing filing — and stores and carriers "不得为未履行备案手续的APP提供网络接入、分发、预置等服务" (must not distribute, carry or pre-install an unfiled app). That filing sits under the ICP regime (State Council Order No. 292) and presupposes a China entity or sponsor. How mobile-app ICP filing works → | Notice on Carrying Out Filing Work for Mobile Internet Applications (MIIT, 工信部信管〔2023〕105号, 2023-07-21), gov.cn, retrieved 2026-10-07; State Council Order No. 292 |
Sources verified by the 21YunBox compliance team on 2026-10-07.
The Problem
Are you concerned about someone pirating your software in China? Are you afraid that diving into the Chinese market will expose your IP to blatant copyright violations? Chances are that if your app is at least fairly popular on Google Play then there are already unauthorized copies of your app being published in China.
Remember that 78% of Chinese users use Android phones, and it’s relatively easy for any one of the many popular Chinese app stores to scrape Google Play for your Android app to bulk up their own offerings. At best, it could simply be an older, outdated version of your app.
However, it’s also easy for a Chinese company or individual to create a copy of your app, usually the premium version, and then submit your app to any of the major Chinese app stores. This is typically done in order to monetize your app through advertising, but in other cases, malicious code is inserted into your app to steal data or money from your app’s users.
The Solution
Step 1: Self-Assessment
It’s possible to check the status of your app on each of the major Chinese app stores yourself, clicking on the URL for each store, and searching for the English or Chinese name of your app. This method won’t be 100% accurate, for example, if an unauthorized copy of your app is being published under another name, but it can still give you an initial understanding of whether your app is already being published.
If you would like a more detailed summary of whether unauthorized copies of your app are being published in China, then contact us and we’ll provide you with a full report.
Reclaim Your App's Rights
Ensure your app's security in China by reclaiming unauthorized copies. Get expert guidance and support with a free consultation.
Schedule Free ConsultationStep 2: Reclaiming Your App
Once you know which Chinese app stores have unauthorized copies of your app on them, the next step is reclaiming. If the unauthorized copy is using the same package name as your original app, then you’ll need to provide your app signature so that the store can verify that your company is the legal owner of the app.
If there’s only one unauthorized copy of your app being published and it’s using the same package name as your original app, then it’s possible to solve this issue by yourself. However, the process can be very time-consuming and requires a fluent Mandarin speaker who can communicate with each of the stores. It’s often also very difficult to connect with someone at each store who can help you to solve this issue.
If the unauthorized copy is using a different package name from your original app, however, then the process is more complex and typically involves:
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Applying for a Software Copyright Certificate (SCC) to prove that your company is the legal owner of the app.
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Completing a form provided by the store.
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Providing a copy of your business license.
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Providing a screenshot of the admin dashboard for your app on Google Play or one of the other Chinese app stores.
When the reclaiming process is completed, the store will inform you, and the unauthorized copy will be removed from that app store. If you are publishing your app in China, then your original app will replace the unauthorized copy, and the download numbers, ratings, and reviews of the unauthorized copy will be assigned to your app instead.
Ongoing Vigilance
Once the reclaiming process is completed, all unauthorized copies of your app will be removed from each of the major Chinese app stores. However, it’s very likely that new unauthorized copies of your app will be published on some of these stores relatively quickly, especially if your app is popular or you have a well-known brand name. It’s, therefore, necessary to continually monitor each of the major Chinese app stores, check for any new unauthorized versions that have been published, and submit new reclaiming requests on a regular basis.
21YunBox’s Service
21YunBox’s reclaiming service makes it easy to solve this issue and ensure that no unauthorized copies of your app are being published in China. We continually monitor the 99% of the Chinese app stores to detect any unauthorized copies and then submit requests to the stores to remove them as rapidly as possible. If you’re interested in using our service to protect your app in China, then contact us for more information.
Don’t let unauthorized copies of your app in China hinder your success. With the right strategies and assistance, you can protect your intellectual property and maintain control over your app’s presence in this thriving market.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we need a Chinese company to reclaim our app?
Not necessarily to hold the rights — a foreign company can own a software-copyright registration and a Chinese trademark — but the trademark must be filed through a legally established Chinese trademark agency, and both a store takedown and any app you later publish to replace the copy go much faster with a China entity or a local agent acting for you in Mandarin. Treat the entity question as part of the plan, and confirm the specifics with counsel.
What happens if the copy uses a different package name than our app?
Then your app signature won't match it, so the store falls back to documentary proof of ownership — typically a software-copyright certificate, a copy of your business license, the store's complaint form and a screenshot of your developer dashboard. This is the slower path described above, and it's where a software-copyright registration — preliminary proof of ownership under the Regulations on the Protection of Computer Software — carries the weight.
Can 21YunBox help reclaim unauthorized copies of our app in China?
Yes. Our China team can help put the standing a takedown needs in place — software-copyright registration and a trademark strategy — then monitor the major stores, file the reclaim requests in Mandarin, and keep refiling as new copies appear. Get in touch to review your app's exposure.
