The Cyberspace Administration of China, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, and the National Radio and Television Administration have jointly issued new regulations introducing mandatory labeling for AI-generated content. These measures will take effect on September 1, 2025, and require platforms to clearly mark content created by AI systems.… Continue reading Labeling Requirements for AI-Generated Content
Tag: Copyright
World’s First Platform Copyright Case
On February 26, the Internet Court in Guangzhou issued a landmark ruling regarding generative AI services that infringe on third-party copyrights. A platform for Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC), which was not named, was found guilty of having produced an image resembling the well-known comic character Ultraman. The copyright owner, Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., signed… Continue reading World’s First Platform Copyright Case
Special zone for IP protection
IP protection is becoming a regional competitive factor in China. The Chinese province of Hainan has now announced that it will establish a special zone for this purpose in Sanya Yazhou Bay. The aim is to establish and further explore a centralized management for IP rights. The first step of this development is the opening… Continue reading Special zone for IP protection
Digital content piracy on the rise
The outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic led to an unprecedented increase in online piracy worldwide regarding music, movies, television, publishing, and software. For example, the number of pirated movies increased by 39% in 2022 compared to 2021, while the number of visits to piracy websites to watch movies increased by about 9%. The same… Continue reading Digital content piracy on the rise
Establishment of Corporate IP Compliance
In the context of building a dual circulation system and creating a unified domestic market, China is guiding all enterprises to strengthen their compliance management to prevent business risks at home and abroad, promote modernization and transformation, and improve competitiveness. The compliance system is to cover areas such as market transactions, environment, human resources, finance,… Continue reading Establishment of Corporate IP Compliance
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
IP Compliance Guidelines
The Shanghai Pudong New Area Procuratorate has released China’s first intellectual property rights (IPR) compliance guidelines. The goal is to highlight IPR-related risks and drive the establishment of a robust IP compliance system. IP compliance includes patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. The guidelines distinguish IPR risks according to their level. For example, changes in… Continue reading IP Compliance Guidelines
Strengthening Design Protection
China joined the Hague Agreement concerning the International Deposit of Industrial Designs (the Hague System for short) on February 5, 2022. This makes it possible to apply for protection of a design in more than 90 countries worldwide simultaneously via one application – including China from May 5, 2022. China’s accession had already been announced… Continue reading Strengthening Design Protection
IP Protection in the Chinese Metaverse
The topic of IP in the metaverse (metaverse) is gaining importance in China. The drivers are the Chinese technology groups, above all Baidu, Tencent, Alibaba, ByteDance and NetEase, which are currently racing against each other with massive metaverse trademark applications. Tencent alone has filed around 100 applications. Baidu, for example, has applied for the term Metaapp as a trademark, Alibaba for the trademark Ali Metaverse, and NetEase for the NetEase Metaverse. NetEase Group’s trademark applications… Continue reading IP Protection in the Chinese Metaverse
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
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