Arbitration in the Field of Intellectual Property

To minimize IPR risks and properly resolve cross-border trade disputes, the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) established the IPR Arbitration Centre in July 2022, specializing in IPR dispute resolution. CIETAC has extensive experience and an outstanding team of experts in the field of IP dispute resolution. In the past five years, CIETAC… Continue reading Arbitration in the Field of Intellectual Property

Cancellation of Trademarks Filed in Bad Faith in China

In China, bad faith registration of third-party trademarks is prohibited. Until recently, it was nevertheless difficult to act against trademarks that were no exact copy of the relevant trademark, even if the bad faith was obvious from the point of view of the company concerned. It took a while, but in the meantime the chances… Continue reading Cancellation of Trademarks Filed in Bad Faith in China

Patents and Data: Extraterritorial Effect of Chinese Laws

China’s Five-Year Plan calls for the development of a Chinese-style socialist rule of law that also has an impact abroad. The country is to distinguish itself as a first-choice jurisdiction for resolving cross-border disputes and promote the application of Chinese law abroad. International legal and regulatory norms should be amended and the Chinese legal system… Continue reading Patents and Data: Extraterritorial Effect of Chinese Laws

China Expands IP Legal System

The Chinese government is focusing more on legal certainty in intellectual property and is condensing the network of agencies responsible for IP. Currently, the structure of courts handling IP infringement lawsuits is organized according to the principle of “1 plus 4 plus 22.” Here, the number 1 represents the IP court at the national level,… Continue reading China Expands IP Legal System

Creative Commons and Copyleft: Open-Source Licenses in China

Free open source software is highly popular in China. A recent report by the Chinese think tank China Academy for Information and Communication Technology (CAICT) states that in 2019, 87.4% of Chinese companies had already used open source technologies, and by now the figure is likely to be even higher. Standardized licenses (public copyright licenses),… Continue reading Creative Commons and Copyleft: Open-Source Licenses in China

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

To Punitive Damages by Sending Lawyer’s Letter

In protecting intellectual property rights in China, the effect of a lawyer’s letter is generally limited. Lawyer letters have also been sent with caution because they can have unpleasant side effects. They can not only trigger aggressive countermeasures from the recipient, but also damage the legitimate rights and interests of the opponent, triggering unfair competition… Continue reading To Punitive Damages by Sending Lawyer’s Letter

Anti-Suit Injunction (ASI): The Global Legal Battle over SEP Licenses

A new global trade war is brewing between China and the West over licenses for standard essential patents (SEPs), which are supposed to be granted under FRAND (fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory) terms. Chinese companies are increasingly trying to obtain cheaper licenses for their cell phones via anti-suit injunctions (ASI). Experts are already talking about an… Continue reading Anti-Suit Injunction (ASI): The Global Legal Battle over SEP Licenses

China Is Creating a Huge Reservoir of Prior Art

When it comes to patents, the U.S. increasingly finds itself at a disadvantage in the innovation race with China. For example, AI patent applications from China significantly outpace those from the U.S., which means that China’s patent applications hurt U.S. innovators because they create a huge reservoir of “prior art.” This dramatically increases the amount… Continue reading China Is Creating a Huge Reservoir of Prior Art

Repeated trademark infringement: High punitive damages in China

Shanghai has a new precedent: The court in Pudong, within the framework of a trademark infringement lawsuit, for the first time imposed the maximum possible punitive damages of 3 million RMB at the time of the judgement, which corresponds to almost 390,000 EUR.almost 390,000 EUR. As of December 1, 2019, the statutory punitive damages will… Continue reading Repeated trademark infringement: High punitive damages in China