Article 1 For the purposes of strengthening the administration of commercial franchise activities and regulating the commercial franchise market order, these Measures are formulated in accordance with relevant provisions of the Regulations on the Administration of Commercial Franchises (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations").
Article 2 These Measures shall apply to commercial franchise activities conducted within the territory of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the "within the territory of China").
Article 3 The Ministry of Commerce and the departments in charge of commerce of the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government are the authorities responsible for the record-filing of commercial franchises. The commercial franchise activities carried out within the territorial scope of a province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government shall be filed for record with the department in charge of commerce of the people's government of the province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government where the franchisor is domiciled. The franchise activities carried out across the territorial boundaries of provinces, autonomous regions or municipalities directly under the Central Government shall be filed for record with the Ministry of Commerce.
A nationwide network is adopted for the record-filing of commercial franchises. Franchisors complying with the provisions of the Regulations shall, in accordance with the provisions of these Measures, file for record through the information management system for commercial franchises established by the Ministry of Commerce.
Article 4 The Ministry of Commerce may, in accordance with relevant provisions, delegate work related to the record-filing of commercial franchises of franchisors engaging in franchise across the territorial boundaries of provinces, autonomous regions or municipalities directly under the Central Government to the departments in charge of commerce of the people's governments of the relevant provinces, autonomous regions or municipalities directly under the Central Government. The departments in charge of commerce of the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions or municipalities directly under the Central Government entrusted with the record-filing work shall complete such work by themselves, and shall not further entrust any other organization or individual with the work.
If the departments in charge of commerce of the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions or municipalities directly under the Central Government entrusted with the record-filing work fail to perform their record-filing related duties in accordance with the law, the Ministry of Commerce may directly accept the record-filing applications submitted by franchisors.
Article 5 Any entity or individual may report to the relevant department in charge of commerce any act that is in violation of provisions of these Measures, and the department in charge of commerce shall handle the case in accordance with the law.
Article 6 A franchisor applying for record-filing shall submit the following materials to the relevant record-filing authority:
(1) The basic information about the commercial franchise;
(2) The distribution of shops of all franchisees within the territory of China;
(3) The marketing plan of the franchisor;
(4) The enterprise legal person business license or other subject qualification certificates;
(5) Registration certificates on the trademark right, patent right and other operational resources relating to the franchise activities;
(6) Supporting documents in conformity with Paragraph 2 of Article 7 of the Regulations;
The provisions of the preceding paragraph do not apply to the circumstances where a franchisor that started the franchise activities before May 1, 2007 submits application materials for record-filing of commercial franchises.
(7) The first franchise contract signed with the franchisee within the territory of China;
(8) A sample franchise contract;
(9) The table of contents of the franchise operation manual (the number of pages of each chapter and the total number of pages in the manual shall be indicated. Where such manual is provided on the internal network of the franchise system, an estimate of the number of pages in a print-out shall be indicated);
(10) Where laws and regulations of the State require prior approval to offer the product and service involved in the franchise operation, the approval document from the relevant competent department shall be submitted;
Foreign-invested enterprises shall submit the Approval Certificate for Foreign-invested Enterprise. The business scope specified in the Approval Certificate for Foreign-invested Enterprise shall include the item of "engagement in commercial activities by way of franchise".
(11) The franchisor's undertaking signed or sealed by the franchisor's legal representative; and
(12) Other materials to be submitted as required by record-filing authorities.
If the abovementioned documents are prepared outside the territory of the People's Republic of China, such documents need be notarized by a notary public (with a Chinese translation attached) in the country where the document is prepared, and certified by the embassy or consulate of the People's Republic of China in that country, or the certification formalities prescribed in the relevant treaty signed between the People's Republic of China and that country shall be completed. If the documents are prepared in Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan region, the relevant certification formalities shall be completed.
Article 7 A franchisor shall apply with the relevant record-filing authority for record-filing within 15 days from the date on which it signs the first franchise contract with the franchisee located within the territory of China.
Article 8 Where any changes occur to the following record-filing information of a franchisor, the franchisor shall submit an application for change of registration with the relevant record-filing authority within 30 days from the date of occurrence of such changes:
(1) The information of the franchisor registered with administrative authority for industry and commerce;
(2) The information pertaining to the operational resources; or
(3) The distribution of all the stores of the franchisees within the territory of China.
Article 9 Prior to March 31 of each year, a franchisor shall report to the relevant record-filing authority the status of the execution, rescission, termination and renewal of franchise contracts in the preceding year.
Article 10 A franchisor shall exercise due care in filling out information about all items required for record-filing, and ensure that the information provided is authentic, accurate, and complete.
Article 11 A record-filing authority shall complete the record-filing procedures within ten days from the date when it receives documents and materials submitted by a franchisor which comply with provisions of Article 6 of these Measures, and make the relevant announcement via the information management system for commercial franchises.
Where the documents and materials submitted by the franchisor are incomplete, the record-filing authority may require the franchiser to submit supplementary documents and materials within seven days. Upon receipt of all of the supplementary documents and materials from the franchiser, the record-filing authority shall complete the record-filing procedures within ten days.
Article 12 Where a franchisor that has completed the record-filing procedures involves any of the following acts, the relevant record-filing authority may cancel the record-filing, and make an announcement thereon via the information management system for commercial franchises:
(1) The franchisor cancels its registration with the administrative department for industry or commerce, or the franchisor's business license is revoked by the competent registration authority due to its illegal business operation;
(2) The record-filing authority receives the written judicial advice from a judicial authority proposing the cancellation of the record-filing due to the franchisor's illegal business operation;
(3) The franchisor conceals the relevant information or provides false information, which causes significant impact;
(4) The franchisor applies for the cancellation of the record-filing, and the relevant record-filing authority approves such application; or
(5) Other situations in which the cancellation of the record-filing is necessary.
Article 13 Departments in charge of commerce of the people's governments of all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall report the information pertaining to the record-filing and cancellation of record-filing to the Ministry of Commerce within ten days.
Article 14 Record-filing authorities shall preserve complete and accurate records of the record-filing information pertaining to franchisors, as well as relevant materials, and keep confidential the trade secrets of franchisors in accordance with the law.
The department in charge of commerce of the people's government (at the level of province, autonomous region, municipality directly under the Central Government, or city divided into districts) where the franchisor is located may issue the record-filing certificate to the franchisor that has completed the record-filing procedures.
Article 15 The general public shall have access to the following information through the information management system for commercial franchises:
(1) A franchisor's enterprise name and operational resources such as registered trademarks, business logos, patents, and know-how used in the franchise business;
(2) A franchisor's record-filing time;
(3) The address of the legal business premises and the contact information of a franchisor, and the name of the legal representative thereof; and
(4) The distribution of all the stores of franchisees within the territory of China.
Article 16 If a franchisor fails to complete the record-filing procedures in accordance with provisions of the Regulations and these Measures, the department in charge of commerce at or above the level of city divided into districts shall order the franchiser to complete the record-filing procedures within a specified time limit, and impose thereon a fine of more than RMB 10,000 and less than RMB 50,000. If the franchisor fails to complete the record-filing procedures within the specified time limit, a fine of more than RMB 50,000 and less than RMB 100,000 shall be imposed, and an announcement shall be made.
Article 17 If a franchisor violates the provisions of Article 11 of these Measures, the department in charge of commerce at or above the level of cities with districts shall order the franchisor to make rectifications and may impose thereon a fine of less than RMB 10,000. In serious cases, a fine of more than RMB 10,000 and less than RMB 50,000 shall be imposed and an announcement shall be made.
Article 18 Overseas franchisors engaging in franchise activities within the territory of China shall be governed by these Measures. These Measures shall apply as the reference for governing franchisors from the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions, and Taiwan region.
Article 19 The relevant associations shall, in accordance with the provisions of these Measures, strengthen the industry self-regulation, and provide guidance for franchisors on completing the record-filing formalities in accordance with the law.
Article 20 The Ministry of Commerce is responsible for the interpretation of these Measures.
Article 21 These Measures shall come into force on February 1, 2012. The Administrative Measures for the Record-filing of Commercial Franchises (Decree No. 15 [2007] of the Ministry of Commerce) which came into force on May 1, 2007, shall be repealed simultaneously.
杨春宝一级律师简介
杨春宝一级律师，大成上海高级合伙人、资本市场部主任、国资基金研究中心主任，大成中国区私募基金专业带头人、科技与文化法律研究中心联合牵头人。执业30余年，长期从事私募基金、投融资、并购重组法律服务，尤其对对赌研究颇深且具有非常丰富的实战经验，并专注于金融机构股权投资业务。2004年起多次入选The Legal 500"私募基金"和"公司与商业"等境内外各类律师榜单，代理的中国法院首例适用外国法律审理外国公司的董事损害小股东权益纠纷案入选上海高院发布的《上海法院域外法查明典型案例》和威科先行"要案头条"。入选上海涉外法律人才库、上海市司法局鼎新法治人才库、上海国有企业改制法律顾问团，具有上市公司独立董事任职资格，系多家知名高校的兼职教授或兼职研究生导师及上海市商务委跨国经营人才培训班讲师。出版《私募股权投资基金风险防控操作实务》等16本投融资法律专著。了解更多常见法律问题
商业特许经营备案的管辖机关如何确定？
一、法律概念与规则解释：商业特许经营备案实行属地管辖与级别管辖相结合的原则。根据规定，省级商务主管部门负责备案本省行政区域内的特许经营活动，商务部负责备案跨省、自治区、直辖市范围的特许经营活动。备案工作通过商务部建立的信息管理系统统一线上办理。这是为了明确监管责任，避免出现管辖真空或多头备案的情况。二、案件事实与实务场景引用：备案的管辖划分取决于特许人从事特许经营活动的实际地域范围。若特许人的加盟店全部位于其住所地省级行政区域内，则向该省级商务主管部门申请备案；若加盟店分布在两个或以上省级区域，则须向商务部申请。商务部还可根据规定将跨省备案工作委托给相关省级商务主管部门，受托机关须自行完成，不得二次委托。若受托机关不依法履职，商务部可直接受理特许人的备案申请。三、实务指引与风险提示：特许人在启动备案前，应准确梳理现有加盟店的分布情况，判断是否涉及跨省经营。若对管辖机关存有疑问，可先咨询拟申请备案的商务部门或通过信息管理系统查询。错误选择备案机关可能导致申请被退回，延误备案时限，影响后续合同履行及商务合作，因此应谨慎确定管辖机关。
特许人申请备案须在何时提交哪些材料？
一、法律概念与规则解释：商业特许经营备案是特许人依法履行的一项行政程序义务。备案申请具有明确的时间节点要求，即特许人应当自与境内首个被特许人签订特许经营合同之日起15日内，向有管辖权的备案机关申请备案。逾期备案可能承担相应法律责任。备案材料需反映特许经营的核心要素，包括特许人主体资格、经营资源、合同文本及运营规范等。二、案件事实与实务场景引用：根据备案管理办法，特许人需提交包括但不限于以下材料：特许经营基本情况、境内全部被特许人店铺分布情况、特许人市场计划、企业法人营业执照或其他主体资格证书、与特许经营相关的商标权及专利权等经营资源注册证书、符合条例要求的证明材料、与境内首个被特许人签订的特许经营合同、特许经营合同样本、特许经营操作手册目录并注明各章页数及总页数、依法需经批准的产品或服务应提交批准文件、外商投资企业须提交包含以特许经营方式从事商业活动经营范围的外商投资企业批准证书，以及特许人法定代表人或负责人签字盖章的承诺书。若材料在境外形成，需经当地公证机构公证并附中文翻译，且经中国驻该国使领馆认证或按相关条约办理认证手续。港、澳、台地区形成的材料需办理相应证明手续。三、实务指引与风险提示：特许人应建立备案材料清单管理制度，提前准备各项基础文件。特别注意境外文件的公证认证周期较长，需预留充足时间。首次签订合同后切勿超过15日再申请，否则可能被认定为未依法备案。材料不齐全的，备案机关可要求7日内补充，补充后10日内完成备案。建议特许人在签约前就启动材料准备工作，确保按时完成备案。
备案信息发生变化及年度报告有何要求？
一、法律概念与规则解释：特许经营备案并非一次申报永久有效，而是实行动态管理。特许人的备案信息发生法定变更时，负有主动申请变更备案的法定义务。同时，特许人还需履行年度报告义务，向备案机关报送上年度特许经营合同的履行情况，以便监管部门及时掌握特许经营活动的持续状态。二、案件事实与实务场景引用：根据备案管理规定，特许人发生以下信息变化时，须在变化发生之日起30日内向原备案机关提交变更申请：一是特许人在市场监管部门登记的信息发生变化，如企业名称、住所、法定代表人等；二是与特许经营有关的经营资源信息发生变化，如商标权的转让、许可期限届满、专利无效等；三是境内全部被特许人店铺分布情况发生变化，包括新增店铺、关闭店铺或店铺迁址等。年度报告方面，特许人应当在每年3月31日之前，向备案机关报告上一年度内特许经营合同的签订、履行、解除、终止以及续约情况。三、实务指引与风险提示：特许人应建立内部信息动态跟踪机制，指定专人负责备案信息的维护。当发生法定代表人变更或新增加盟店时，应在30日内及时办理变更备案，避免因信息不实被撤销备案。年度报告虽有固定时间窗口，但建议提前整理上年度合同台账，确保数据真实准确。特许人应如实填写备案信息，因填报虚假信息导致备案被撤销的，可能影响特许经营活动的合法开展，并可能受到商务主管部门的查处。因此，合规管理应贯穿备案后运营全过程。
以上内容仅供参考，不构成法律意见。如需专业法律服务，请联系杨春宝一级律师：chambers.yang@dentons.cn
