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
Digital Free Trade Zones: A Nightmare for IP Protection
This February, the First Global Cross-Border E-Commerce Conference was held in Beijing, organized by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the General Administration of China Customs. Beijing was an obvious choice of location given the fact that 40 percent of global e-commerce is carried on in China – not to mention the country’s leading position… Continue reading Digital Free Trade Zones: A Nightmare for IP Protection
Chinese Companies Turn the Tables
Not only do Chinese companies register property rights for their intellectual property on a massive scale, but also have their measures of enforcement become more aggressive. The majority of cases brought to Chinese IP courts do not involve, as one might assume, Western companies that defend their IP rights against Chinese forgers, but litigations between… Continue reading Chinese Companies Turn the Tables
Watch List for Fake Markets
Brussels plans a watch list for marketplaces outside the EU that continuously offer platforms for the infringement on intellectual property, counterfeiting, or any forms of trademark and product piracy. This watch list is part of the Commission’s complex strategy for the IP enforcement, announced in 2017. The focus will lie primarily on online platforms and… Continue reading Watch List for Fake Markets
China Establishes Its Own International Courts Along the New Silk Road
In the wake of its multi-billion Belt and Road Initiative, China will set up three international courts to settle disputes among those companies participating in the project. International courts will be located in Beijing, Shenzhen and Xi’an, established by the Chinese Supreme People’s Court. China’s current judiciary, arbitration, and mediation agencies shall provide the basis… Continue reading China Establishes Its Own International Courts Along the New Silk Road
China’s Cybersecurity Law – More Clarification to Come
China’s NITSSTC (National Information Security Standardization Technical Committee) published new standards on Cybersecurity Law as draft for the solicitation of public opinion. The new standards cover some topics that many international companies with operations in China were wrestling with in the last couple of months. As the Cybersecurity Law contains a lot of vague expressions… Continue reading China’s Cybersecurity Law – More Clarification to Come
Blockchain is Revolutionizing Everything – Including the IP World
The European Commission is sounding out the potential of the blockchain technology in order to fight against infringements on intellectual property in supply chains. The blockchain technology, e.g. through the application of smart contracts, gives better insights into supply chains. By monitoring supply chains via blockchain, every physical product can be clearly identified, its origin,… Continue reading Blockchain is Revolutionizing Everything – Including the IP World
Counterfeiting Takes Off
Chinese brand and product piracy continues to increase. This is demonstrated not only by our project experience, but also by the new IP statistics issued by the Chinese State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) in the first half of 2017. According to the data, about 25,000 cases… Continue reading Counterfeiting Takes Off
Fourth Industrial Revolution: Asian Companies Leap Forward
The European Patent Office (EPO) reports a rapid increase in patent applications for smart and connected objects. These include core technologies with hardware, software, and connectivity, enabling technologies, such as artificial intelligence and user interfaces, as well as applications of these technologies in the fields of business, home, mobility, or manufacturing. In recent years, EPO… Continue reading Fourth Industrial Revolution: Asian Companies Leap Forward
International Patent Applications: The Growth Comes from China
2016 was the year of Chinese patents. Overall, 233,000 applications were filed under WIPO’s Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) – which constitutes a 7.3 percent increase compared with the previous year. Chinese applicants are responsible for 98% of the overall growth in demand for international patent applications. Since 2002, China-based filers have recorded double-digit growth each year.… Continue reading International Patent Applications: The Growth Comes from China
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