Beijing unveils two-year Metaverse plan

China is now taking the Metaverse for a big leap. The project is based on the Beijing Urban Sub-Center Metaverse Innovation and Development Action Plan (2022- 2024), which was published in August 2022. The Chinese capital’s innovation plan stipulates that all urban districts should increasingly promote industries and companies that have a connection to the… Continue reading Beijing unveils two-year Metaverse plan

NFT Copyright Infringement in China

The protection of intellectual property rights in non-fungible tokens (NFT) is an important element in the process of distribution and trade of digital works. There is now a first case on this in China. In April 2022, the Hangzhou Internet Court held a public hearing on the first NFT infringement case in China. The plaintiff… Continue reading NFT Copyright Infringement in China

Patentability of Software-Related Inventions

Since patents were traditionally intended to protect technical solutions such as those required for mechanical devices, it is still not possible to obtain a patent for a computer program per se. However, there are ways to include software in a patent application. In 2020, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) revised its examination guidelines… Continue reading Patentability of Software-Related Inventions

Blockchain Makes Evidence Secure

The use of public blockchains and cryptocurrency trading have been heavily restricted in China since 2017. However, in 2019, the Chinese government realized that this technology is not only a risk of losing control, but can be very useful. Since then, it has been trying to target blockchain technology to improve cybersecurity and build a… Continue reading Blockchain Makes Evidence Secure

IP Due Diligence Reduces Risk of Investments in Startups

Because new technologies such as artificial intelligence, Big Data, the Internet of Things and blockchain are developing rapidly in China, Chinese high-tech startups have become the most popular investment targets for multinational companies. While intellectual property is the greatest asset of these startups, it also poses a high risk to investors. Is its IP protected… Continue reading IP Due Diligence Reduces Risk of Investments in Startups

China Promotes Blockchain for Evidence Preservation

In August 2020, the Chinese Supreme People’s Court published the Opinions on Enhancing Protection of Copyright and Related Rights (Draft for Comments).To improve the evidences rules in intellectual property litigation and help the IP right holders to get more comprehensive protection, especially to solve the difficulty of preserving evidence, this draft encourages the IP right… Continue reading China Promotes Blockchain for Evidence Preservation

Patent Protection for AI in China: New Guidelines and References

The number of Chinese patent applications in the field of artificial intelligence is growing rapidly – the bottom line is that companies based in China have filed more than 440,000 AI patents by October 2019. Applicants are mostly large companies such as Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, Inspur and Huawei as well as universities or research centers,… Continue reading Patent Protection for AI in China: New Guidelines and References

Food Counterfeiting in China

In Beijing, a three-month major action against food counterfeiters has just ended. The project, initiated jointly by several Beijing authorities, revealed more than 85 hidden workshops and 68 cases of counterfeit food products. Food counterfeit has been a problem in China for many years, a problem which is difficult to control. The consumers are the… Continue reading Food Counterfeiting in China

China Enables Blockchain Evidence

When it comes to the use of digital technology, China is clearly a pioneer and a global champion in today’s international court practice. Famous examples are the country‘s recently introduced cyber courts (link to article) and its new Cyber Security Law (link to article). However, it is still relatively unknown that China is also the… Continue reading China Enables Blockchain Evidence

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