The GDPR is supposed to make data protection easier and to provide extra protection for EU citizens. In some aspects the GDPR has fulfilled its purpose; in other areas the GDPR makes the protection of those same EU citizens as customers much more difficult. With the GDPR it is a lot more difficult to fight… Continue reading GDPR vs. Brand Protection
Category: ACF
Chinese Counterfeiters Mostly Copy Local Brands
Chinese counterfeiters are not only targeting foreign brands. Quite the contrary, as Chinese brands gain in popularity and their value is rising steadily, Chinese counterfeiters do not shy away from copying products of their fellow countrymen. China Weekly reports that Chinese courts have concluded 200,000 cases in 2017 related to IP rights with the number… Continue reading Chinese Counterfeiters Mostly Copy Local Brands
China on the Fast Track for International Trademark Applications
A new study on Chinese Brands conducted by CompuMark shows that in just four years China has climbed up from number 10 in international filing volume of trademarks to number two. And it is very likely to outstrip the current number one, the US, in less than two years. Since some years ago China manages… Continue reading China on the Fast Track for International Trademark Applications
Loopholes in Trademark Registration Procedure
German trademark registration procedure makes it easy to register malicious trademarks. When checking on an application for trademark registration the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) does not conduct an in-depth research on similar registered trademarks. New trademarks are registered after only a formal examination. Chinese counterfeiters capitalize on that loophole: they register malicious trademarks,… Continue reading Loopholes in Trademark Registration Procedure
Names of Credit Defaulters Published in China on a Daily Basis
Supreme People’s Court has launched an online platform for publishing information on credit defaulters, including those banned from purchasing tickets for planes and high-speed trains. At the moment, there are already around 10.7 million credit defaulters published, both companies and private persons can be listed. In addition to the exact number of defaulters, their full… Continue reading Names of Credit Defaulters Published in China on a Daily Basis
China’s National Court of Appeal for IPR Cases
The Supreme People’s Court will further accelerate the establishment of a unified court of appeal for the cases in the field of intellectual property. Thus China continues strengthening the protection of IP rights. This step is long overdue because of the sheer volume of IPR trials: in 2017 alone, the specialized IP courts have decided… Continue reading China’s National Court of Appeal for IPR Cases
China Merges Patent and Trademark Offices
China has announced the merging of Patent and Trademark offices and combining trademark and patent functions which before were performed by a multitude of different authorities. This includes not only patent-related tasks but also trademark registration and management of geographical indications (GI). The ultimate goal is to optimize IP management, strengthen administrative enforcement as well… Continue reading China Merges Patent and Trademark Offices
Increased Compensation in IPR Infringement Cases
Tailwind for China’s entrepreneurs: The Supreme People’s Court has released a document that protects the property rights of entrepreneurs and strengthens their autonomy concerning management issues. The Circular on Creating a Favorable Legal Landscape to Facilitate Innovation and the Start-Up of Entrepreneurs by Leveraging the Adjudicatory Function of the Court also includes the protection of… Continue reading Increased Compensation in IPR Infringement Cases
Fast-Fakes and Super-Fakes: Brands Need to Adjust Their Anti-Counterfeiting Strategies
Not only the fashion industry experiences a trend of differentiated counterfeiting business. On the one hand, there is a tendency of “fast-fakes”. Counterfeiting cycles are getting shorter and forgers are quickly dumping simple and recognizable copies of low quality seasonal goods on the market. The response of original manufacturers is not very challenging in such… Continue reading Fast-Fakes and Super-Fakes: Brands Need to Adjust Their Anti-Counterfeiting Strategies
The Renaissance of Design
Once regarded as the unbeloved child of IP protection, design is now experiencing a coming of age. While patents and trademarks used to be the essential way of IP protection, the number of global registrations has skyrocketed over the past few years, since companies have become aware of the benefits of designs in their own… Continue reading The Renaissance of Design
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