Several new rules from China’s State Administration for Market Regulation portend a more active role for administrative enforcement of patents, in both patent linkage and major disputes affecting Chinese national interests. How much due process do these rules afford? Are they compatible with the TRIPS Agreement? Will foreigners be treated fairly? Will the administrative agencies be transparent in their decisions and make their cases publicly available. SAMR’s database of IP cases is also relatively new.
There are a number of open issues.
A Season of CNIPA Rulemaking
Chinese TM and Design Filings in Europe Showing Continued Positive Trends
EUIPO has issued a report “China EUTM and RCD Focus” on 10 years of China trademark (TM) and registered community design (RCD) filings in the EU. The report also details the impact […]
China’s Evolving Case Law On ASI’s
Notwithstanding China’s civil law tradition, China’s use of anti-suit injunctions (ASI’s) in FRAND disputes has begun to be selected for adoption into the body of “typical cases” 典型案例 that may be referred […]
NSCAI Report Released
The National Security Commission Report on Artificial Intelligence has been released. Chapter 12 covers IP-related issues, focusing on China. The report calls for greater interagency coordination, more stability in patent-eligible subejct matter, and a critical view of China’s SEP-contributions.
The SPP’s Increasing Role In Protecting IP
China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate has set up a specialized IP office, with several local counterpart offices. Trade secret prosecution is a focus. 23,000 cases were prosecuted in the last five years.
Still Time to Register…
A forthcoming lecture by Mark Cohen on Weaponization of Intellectual Property Against China at UCSD.
Patent Litigation, IP Monetization and Technology Decoupling: Lessons for the Future
Even during a time of trade conflict, there was considerable litigation and patent licensing activity with China, including a pronounced role in global markets for Chinese companies and in China for US companies. Patent disputes and licensing involved a diverse group of technologies. Chinese companies have become more active in SEP litigation overseas. The United States is an important venue for litigating overseas patent disputes with Chinese entities. Both the patent licensing and pharma data show the importance of tracking market value and trends to determine the real-world impact of IP-related policies.
CNIPA Does A Statistical Switcheroo
About a dozen years ago while reviewing SIPO monthly statistics, I noticed that the percentage of foreign applications for invention patents for the prior year had shrunk to the point where they […]
CNIPA’s Notice on Cancelling Patent Subsidies: A Deeper Dive
On January 27, 2021, the CNIPA issued the “国家知识产权局关于进一步严格规范专利申请行为的通知” (Notice on Further Strictly Regulating Patent Application Behavior)”. Although the Notice, on first glance, is reacting to the USPTO Report and is transformative in nature, it in fact builds upon prior efforts of CNIPA and other agencies, it does not completely address issues involving market externalities, such as subsidies, in patent filings.
Four Upcoming Events
Four upcoming speaking events on China IP in February 2021.
China IPR - Intellectual Property Developments in China 