Fluid Trademarks Can Create Free Space for Counterfeiters

Fluid trademarks appear in different and frequently changing variations, all based on a specific base brand. While they can be a creative way to connect with audiences, brand owners should use this tool with caution. Those who change their visual brand identity frequently can quickly confuse customers. The brand becomes undifferentiated and loses contour, leading… Continue reading Fluid Trademarks Can Create Free Space for Counterfeiters

The New Stamp Duty Law also Reduces the IP Costs

On June 10, 2021, the new Stamp Tax Law of the People’s Republic of China (中华人民共和国印花税法) was passed by the National People’s Congress. It will reduce or even eliminate the stamp tax previously levied on certain legal documents, licenses or certificates issued by an administrative authority. The new law replaces the previous Transitional Stamp Tax… Continue reading The New Stamp Duty Law also Reduces the IP Costs

Cybersecurity Review: Didi Is Not the Last Company

In just two days, Didi, China’s largest service platform for private car ride-hailing, has gone from investor darling to the first major case of a cybersecurity review by the Chinese government against a company after a stellar IPO on Wall Street. One of the bases of this review is the Measures for Cybersecurity Review 2020,… Continue reading Cybersecurity Review: Didi Is Not the Last Company

Protect Icons with Trademarks and Copyrights

In China, apps now dominate many markets. Their symbols (icons), which should be protected as intellectual property, are becoming correspondingly important. The icon positions an app as a digital service brand and stands for a special value proposition in the virtual space.  Under China’s Trademark Law, app icons can be registered as a trademark as… Continue reading Protect Icons with Trademarks and Copyrights

DSL: What is “Important Data”?

The Data Security Law (DSL), which further strengthens China’s regulation of data security, will come into effect on September 1, 2021. The critical question for foreign companies is to what extent they will be affected by the DSL. The crux of the matter here is the so-called “important data.” This special category of data is… Continue reading DSL: What is “Important Data”?