In May 2022, for the first time in Chinese history, a Chinese patent was fully invalidated by the CNIPA examination board (Decision 55586) because the patentee failed to apply for a confidentiality examination before filing the first foreign application. According to Article 20.1 of the Chinese Patent Law, any invention made in or partly made… Continue reading Lack of Confidentiality Review: CNIPA Declares Patent Invalid
Tag: invention
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
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
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
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
China Intellectual Property Blog 