"China IP SME Helpdesk Newsletter" Newsletter Issues

How to gather evidence for patent infringement litigation in China? (01/07/2024)

In case of patent infringement, besides contacting your lawyer, SMEs might consider gathering and securing the evidence for the next litigation step. In this article, China IP SME Helpdesk external expert Dr Jian Xu lists the key steps concerning the collection of valid evidence.

IP Assets Safeguarding: The Key to SMEs’ Competitiveness in the Fashion Industry (01/07/2024)

From emergent designers, innovative textile and fashion brands to manufacturing companies and circular and sustainable providers, the textile industry as a whole is called to understand the relevance of handling intellectual property matters globally. As the market globalisation era enables a worldwide competitiveness, it is imperative to understand how to efficiently handle the complexity of cross-border IP rights, arising from different legal frameworks and jurisdictional obstacles. Effective and efficient business goals require more than ever an alignment with a strong IP strategy, which in simpler words could be translated into having a clear path to reach partners and consumers whilst capturing exclusivity over certain elements that enable this path and the defense of business interests. In a bid to shed light on the dynamic interplay among innovation, competitiveness, internationalisation and economic growth, the International IP SME Helpdesks explore the Role of Intellectual Property in SMEs' Global Ventures.

If you have any questions regarding IP in China please contact us at question@china-iprhelpdesk.eu (07/08/2023)

If you have any questions regarding IP in China please contact us at question@china-iprhelpdesk.eu

Shanghai highlights IP protection progress in pharmaceutical industry (01/07/2024)

In recent years, the Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration has taken a more proactive stance handling IP disputes in the pharmaceutical industry recently supporting “the conclusion of the first-ever national administrative ruling on a significant patent infringement dispute, initiated by Boehringer Ingelheim”. In addition, the administration has supported numerous renowned pharmaceutical companies, including foreign companies.

Exporting to China: European support for SMEs (03/07/2024)

Arti e Mestieri Expo 2024, taking place online between 4-5 July 2024, is Italy's first digital trade fair to include permanent e-commerce of Made in Italy to China. The event will feature exhibitions, training, meetings, and business matchmaking preparatory to e-commerce start-ups in China. Attending SMEs will have the opportunity to sell their products for 11 months on Chinese platforms with the help of the Vento d'Italia import system. Business Matchmaking: matchmaking opportunities with Chinese B2B market partners (importers, distributors etc.) Training: Training sessions with Italian and Chinese professionals on vertical issues relating to the Chinese market. Conferences: Italian and Chinese institutional and private stakeholders discuss in themed roundtables. The China IP SME Helpdesk, alongside the EU SME Center, will present the EU initiatives which support European SMEs exporting to China. The session is titled: "Exporting to China: European support for SMEs." The session is dedicated to the European perspective on the internationalisation of Italian SMEs towards the Chinese market and will explain how these two important projects can support your SME. The EU SME Centre provides practical information, advice and training to help European SMEs grow in the Chinese market. The China IP SME Helpdesk advises European SMEs on IP protection and management in the Chinese market. Both initiatives offer their services completely free of charge. During the session, representatives of the projects will explain the services available to facilitate SMEs' access to the Chinese market and present concrete case studies highlighting the success achieved by companies thanks to the support provided by the two projects.

How to protect your IP rights in China (02/07/2024)

This training will be given within the context of the event "Discover China," organised by SEV- Hellenic Federation of Enterprises, the Athens Chamber of Commerce & Industry, SEVE - Greek Exporters Association, the EU SME Centre, and the China IP SME Helpdesk. The goal of the conference is to inform Greek businesses about the prospects, possibilities and business and investment opportunities presented by the Chinese market, about the penetration possibilities of Greek products, as well as intellectual property issues. An IP Expert will represent the China IP SME Helpdesk and deliver a presentation titled, "How to protect your IP rights in China," aimed at informing SMEs about relevant IP laws and procedures in China.

By 2035, China aims to fundamentally modernize system and capabilities of IP protection (01/07/2024)

In line with the recently issued “Implementation Plan for the Development of the Intellectual Property Protection System”, “by 2027, China aims to achieve significant breakthroughs by addressing current key challenges in IP protection”. The plan consists of tasks/goals like setting “forth plans to fully implement a punitive damage system and to continuously carry out specialized administrative law enforcement actions”; “It continues to push for solutions to systemic challenges that hinder innovative development, such as inconsistent enforcement and judicial standards, complex procedures, and inefficient protection mechanisms” etc.

Key IP Considerations for Cooperation with Chinese Partners (16/07/2024)

SMEs’ trade secrets and valuable know-how are often lost during the initial business meetings with potential new business partners or during trade fairs when introducing their products or services to potential new buyers. In collaboration with the Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce, the China IP SME Helpdesk is inviting an IP expert to discuss how to design comprehensive IP protection strategy when meeting potential new cooperation partners in China.

Copyright protection campaign launched to provide a healthy environment (01/07/2024)

Led by the National Copyright Administration, China launched a Copyright protection campaign. It aims to “crackdown on pirated teaching and examination materials, children's picture books and cartoons”. The campaign will also target other infringing activities such as secretly recording movies at theathers.

Biotech in China: Assessing Market Opportunities for European SMEs (07/06/2024)

The biotech sector in China is booming. With supportive government policies towards biotech development and a massive patient base, China presents a relevant opportunity for smaller European companies looking to scale up and access new revenue streams. To explore the specificities of this sector, this webinar serves as an online workshop to help European SMEs in the process of assessing their opportunities. Taking place on 13 June 2024, it will be hosted by the China IP SME Helpdesk, the EU SME Centre, Genopole, and Cisema.

TIPO Introduces New AI “Search by Image” Function (07/06/2024)

"TIPO released a new AI "Search by Image" feature on March 25, which allows the public to upload trademark images and quickly verify whether identical or similar trademarks have already been registered or applied for”. The feature is still in the beta testing phase, and supplements the current image search system.

IP Assets Safeguarding: The Key to SMEs’ Competitiveness in the Fashion Industry (07/06/2024)

From emergent designers, innovative textile and fashion brands to manufacturing companies and circular and sustainable providers, the textile industry as a whole is called to understand the relevance of handling intellectual property matters globally. As the market globalisation era enables a worldwide competitiveness, it is imperative to understand how to efficiently handle the complexity of cross-border IP rights, arising from different legal frameworks and jurisdictional obstacles. In a bid to shed light on the dynamic interplay among innovation, competitiveness, internationalisation and economic growth, the International IP SME Helpdesks explore the Role of Intellectual Property in SMEs' Global Ventures.

Draft Amendments to the Trademark Act Will Come Into Effect on May 1, 2024 (07/06/2024)

The draft amendments to the Trademark Act were promulgated on May 24, 2023 in Taiwan and are set to take effect on May 1, 2024. The Trademark Act will improve the registration process as well as the enforcement of trademarks. Note, that in terms of IP Taiwan has its own jurisdiction of laws and regulations. The Trademark Act only applies to the jurisdiction of Taiwan.

China and France Renew Protocol for Cooperation on Agricultural and Food Geographical Indications (07/06/2024)

The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty of the French Republic and the National Institute of Origin and Quality expressed that “both parties willing to strengthen cooperation through a renewal of the protocol for cooperation on agricultural and food geographical indications.”

Highlights of the 2023 China Patent Survey Report (07/06/2024)

The CNIPA recently released the "2023 China Patent Survey Report" on its website, “The report underscores the evolving landscape of patent utilization, collaboration, protection, and talent development in China”. It is said that China's rate of patent infringement has reached historically low level.

China steps up legal efforts to build digital power, clean cyberspace (07/06/2024)

“China accelerated its legal steps to ensure data flow and protect cybersecurity last year to help build digital power and clean cyberspace through the rule of law,” according to the Annual Report on Rule of Law in China, which was released on May 20 by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Law.

Shen Changyu Meets With European Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski (07/06/2024)

The Commissioner of the CNIPA and the European Union Commissioner for Agriculture met in Beijing on April 25. Both sides acknowledged the steps taken towards improved protection of GIs and the need to further cooperate in this area.

"Intellectual Property Protection in China 2023" White Paper Officially Released (07/06/2024)

The "Intellectual Property (IP) Protection in China 2023" White Paper was officially released. It “highlighted China’s international cooperation in the Design Law Treaty and diplomatic conference on the proposed treaty on intellectual property, genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, diligent implementation of the agreement between China and the European Union (EU) on geographical indications protection and cooperation etc.”

CNIPA Announces Joining Patent Prosecution Highway Improvement Initiative (10/05/2024)

China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has announced joining the "PPH (the Patent Prosecution Highway) Improvement Initiative".The initiative aims at providing PPH users with a more predictable examination cycle. It aims at speeding up patent examination and achieving an average duration of 3 months both from the grant of a PPH request to issuance of a first office action and for an average response time from examiner to applicant.

How to organize evidence of trademark use to defend a non-use cancellation in China? (10/05/2024)

Many SMEs might realize that their China market entry plans will take longer than initially expected and after 3 years of very limited use of the trademark in China, they may find themselves in a situation where their trademark is being challenged due to “non-use”. In this article, the China IP SME Helpdesk external expert Dr Jian Xu explains how SMEs can organize the evidence of use of the trademark in China to defend themselves against such challenges.

Procuratorates to strengthen IP protection (26/04/2024)

China will focus on strengthening the judicial protection of IPR in newly emerging industries such as AI, biotechnology, green energy, and information and communication technology, Gong Ming, deputy procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate said one day before World Intellectual Property Day. Gong Ming also mentioned that equal protection has been provided for domestic and foreign rights holders, and supervision efforts have been intensified in anti-monopoly and unfair competition to maintain market order.

China to expedite patent application review process (10/05/2024)

China is working to further enhance the efficiency of its patent application review process, with the goal of reducing the examination time to 15.5 months this year. The average period spent reviewing a trademark application remained at four months. The newly effected rules for the implementation of the Patent Law in January 2024, encompassed several new measures aimed at enhancing the patent examination system and improving the quality of patent review.

China to enhance intellectual property review efficiency and protection (10/05/2024)

Wang Peizhang, an official from the China National Intellectual Property Administration said that patent examination standards will be facilitated in emerging sectors such as big data, artificial intelligence and gene technology, and the average time spent reviewing an invention patent is expected to be reduced to 15.5 months.

2024 National Intellectual Property Publicity Week Activities Launched (10/05/2024)

The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) leads a week-long activities “Promoting High-Quality Development by Facilitating" from April 20 to April 26. During the Publicity Week, the three major organizers (China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)) will jointly hold a press conference to introduce the progress of China's 2023 work in building an IP Powerhouse.

Criteria for determining validity of trademark coexistence agreements in China (10/05/2024)

Recently, Chinese courts have taken a tougher stance towards trademark coexistence agreements. China IP SME Helpdesk external expert Charles Feng explains the legal basis for the trademark coexistence agreements as well as the implications of the evolving legal practice in this area to SMEs.

EU approves artificial intelligence law (10/05/2024)

The European Union has approved an artificial intelligence law that aims to ensure safety, fundamental rights, and innovation. The legislation received significant support from lawmakers in the European Parliament, with 523 votes in favor, 46 against, and 49 abstentions. This act can serve as a reference to other countries to better regulate the use of AI.

Regulator pledges solving IP issues for private and foreign enterprises (10/05/2024)

At a minister's passage interview after the 14th National People's Congress, Shen Changyu, head of the National Intellectual Property Administration highlighted the equal protection to enterprises, regardless of whether they are State-owned, private or foreign, CNIPA will accelerate the steps to revise the Trademark Law and fully implementing the newly amended Patent Law, explores to formulate IP protection rules in the field of data.

Trade Fair | SIAL Shanghai (10/05/2024)

The trade fair SIAL Shanghai will be held in the Shanghai New International Expo Center from May 28th to 30th, 2024.

Webinar | Cómo proteger y defender tus derechos de propiedad intelectual en China 2024 (15/05/2024)

The Spanish Embassy in Beijing together with the China IP SME Helpdesk is organizing the webinar on May 21. It is about the importance of appropriate protection of intellectual property rights in the Chinese market.

Webinar | Taking Part in Trade Fairs in China (15/05/2024)

The EU SME Centre, in collaboration with the China IP SME Helpdesk, has recently published its new Guide to Trade Fairs in China. The webinar on May 23 is about the main takeaways of this guide, importance of IP protection when attending trade fair.

New Fees of the Designs Registry (01/03/2024)

The official fees of design registration and post-registration services in Hong Kong will be reduced with effect from 1 March 2024. The reduction is part of the authorities’ attempt to “promote the further development of intellectual property trading”.

How to record copyright in China? (24/01/2024)

Voluntary copyright registration is useful in China especially when starting enforcement proceedings in case of an infringement because authorities would require you to show copyright certificate as proof of your rights before taking up your case. In this article, the China IP SME Helpdesk external expert Dr Jian Xu explains how to register copyright in China.

Trade Fair | SEMICON China (20/03/2024)

SEMICON China will be held from March 20 to March 22 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). SEMICON China is organised by SEMI. It is one of the most important trade fairs concerning the semiconductors session in China.

Chinese courts tackling plant variety patent cases (22/02/2024)

According to the Supreme People’s Court’s data, “the SPC's Intellectual Property Court, a national-level IP court, handled 18,924 cases from January 2019” when the court was established. A large number of those cases involved foreign litigants. According to data, the court ruled in the favour of the rights holders in about 80% of the cases.

Copyright registrations soar in China (20/02/2024)

In 2023, in China “copyrights were registered for more than 6.4 million works, up 42.3 percent year-on-year”. More than half of those works were categorised as art works. While copyright in China arises automatically and there is no requirement to register it, registration is highly recommended because the registration certificate is needed for quicker and smoother enforcement proceedings in case of an infringement.

Police investigate 40,000 IPR, substandard good-related crimes in 2023 (04/02/2024)

According to police authorities, in 2023, “the Chinese police investigated 40,000 cases involving the violation of intellectual property rights (IPRs) or the manufacturing and selling of substandard goods”. This is part of the Chinese authorities’ attempt to crack down on IP infringements more strongly.

China's Supreme People's Court Amends the Jurisdiction Rules of the IP Tribunal (11/12/2023)

In November 2023, the China’s Supreme People's Court amended the Jurisdiction Rules of the IP Tribunal, limiting the scope of the cases handled by the special IP Tribunals so that the IP Tribunals will focus on ‘significant and complicated’ cases. Read the China IP SME Helpdesk external expert Dr Leslie Xu’s analysis to learn what this means in practice for the right holders. The article was first published on the website of Chang Tsi & Partners.

China continues to improve patent application procedures (26/12/2023)

As part of the amended ‘Rules for the Implementation of the Patent Law of the People’s Republic of China’, the CNIPA will “improve its efficiency and quality of patent application reviews” by streamlining the processes. The CNIPA will also make more efforts in reviewing patent applications involving “new fields and emerging businesses, including those on big data, artificial intelligence and gene technology”.

12-14 January 2024 - ISPO BEIJING 2024 (12/01/2024)

The China IP SME Helpdesk IP Business Advisor will attend the ISPO BEIJING 2024 to provide first line advice to European SMEs and SMEs from the countries participating in the Single Market Programme attending the fair.

China releases amended implementing rules of the Patent Law (23/12/2023)

The amended ‘Rules for the Implementation of the Patent Law of the People's Republic of China’ will enter into force on January 20, 2024. The amendments mainly concern “the patent application system patent examination system patent protection and improving the patent dispute handling and mediation system; […] government services, and special provisions for international application for industrial design to comply with the Hague Agreement on the International Registration of Industrial Design”.

WEBINAR - Navigating Taiwan: Business and IP Best Practices for Eastern Europe SMEs (16/01/2024)

The webinar, aiming to provide European SMEs from all sectors facing the challenges posed by the green sustainability ecosystem, covers a range of discussion points relevant to a comprehensive view of doing business in Taiwan and how to participate in green procurement policies along with key concerns about IP protection.

Litigants offered stronger protection of IP rights (20/12/2023)

In early December, the Supreme People's Court required Chinese courts to “strengthen the intellectual property protection of litigants, regardless of their origin [including foreign litigants], by accurately applying international rules and conventions”. This is part of China’s further ‘opening-up’ policy. While it’s early to say how the practice evolves, this is good news for the European SMEs facing IP issues in China.

AI case judgment keeps pace with the times (04/12/2023)

Recently, the Beijing Internet Court issued a very first judgment in a copyright case that involved the use of pictures generated by the AI. In this case, the defendant had used pictures generated by the AI without the permission of the plaintiff who had created those pictures with the help of the AI. The court ruled in favor of the plaintiff stating that “the AI-generated pictures were original and belonged to the owner of the pictures who generated them with AI technology”. Based on the judgement, European SMEs can also expect at least some protection to their AI generated images in China.

China's State Council Approves the Draft Implementation Rules of the Patent Law (10/11/2023)

In early November, the State Council, approved the Draft Implementation Rules of the Patent Law, which were highly anticipated since the adoption of the new Patent Law back in 2020. The Draft Implementation Rules “further enhance China's level of patent creation, utilization, protection, management, and services”. Read more about the Draft Implementation Rules in the China IP SME Helpdesk external expert Dr Leslie Xu’s article. The article was first published in the CHANG TSI & PARTNERS Insights.

Template and Guidelines for Power of Attorney is Now Available on TIPO’s Website (21/11/2023)

The Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) published a template and Guidelines for Power of Attorney. The Guidelines “address issues of ambiguity and disputes arising from the language and terminology used in power of attorney during the patent formality check procedure”. While the guidelines are in Mandarin, European SMEs should not worry, since the Guidelines are meant to help patent attorneys.

China’s State Council has approved the draft implementation rules of its Patent Law (06/12/2023)

In early November, China’s State Council approved the Implementation Rules of the Patent Law. The Implementation Rules “include details on applications for patent term compensation and extension, new rules for priority claims, administrative enforcement rules, and specific provisions for international design patent registrations under the Hague Agreement”. The implementing rules were highly anticipated, given that the new Patent Law has been in force since 2021.

Scrutiny on internet copyright tightened (09/11/2023)

The Copyright management bureau with the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee announced tightening of supervision on copyright, especially online copyrighted material. According to the official from the Copyright Management Bureau, Tang Zhaozhi, the Copyright Management Bureau “also intensified oversight on piracy on popular online platforms, including livestreaming, e-commerce, videos, music and literature”.

Webinar | Key Intellectual Properties Considerations for Collaborating with Chinese Partners on 12-Dec (12/12/2023)

The China IP SME Helpdesk, the Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce and the EU-China Business Association have the pleasure to invite you to a webinar focused on "Key Intellectual Property Considerations for Collaborating with Chinese Partners”. This webinar will take place on 12 December 2023 at 10:00 am CEST. Moreover, on 14and 15 December from 9:00-11:00 (CET), interested SMEs will have the opportunity to book a 30 minutes free one-on-on consultation with the Helpdesk’s IP Business Advisor Ms. Lisa Lu to get a tailor-made advice on intellectual property matters in China. The spots are limited!

EU - Webinar & Horizon Results Platform: Thinking international - International business Opportunities on 13-Dec (13/12/2023)

This lecture series, organised in co-operation with the Horizon Results Platform, addresses IP-related aspects in four areas: It introduces the main aspects of IP management: notably IP Assessment, IP Commercialisation and Licensing, IP in Business Collaboration for SMEs and Start Ups and IP and Thinking international - International business Opportunities . Each lecture explores a different aspect of Intellectual Property valorization. The lectures may be of interest to a variety of audiences, from researchers to technology transfer officers.

Webinar | SMEs and patent holdouts: how European SMEs fight back on 14-Dec (14/12/2023)

In this webinar and Q&A in cooperation with 4iP Council, you will hear from an expert, Jari E. Vepsäläinen, Chairman of Fintrade-Mercer Group, China trained attorney actively involved as a strategic investment advisor and corporate lawyer in the People’s Republic of China for more than 36 years; and from Timothée Le Quesne, Co Founder & CEO at energysquare, who will explain his experience first-hand.

Webinar | Opportunities and Challenges For Swedish and European SMEs in China on 14-Dec (14/12/2023)

On the 1st of November 2023, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in China published a Whitepaper on the topic of Swedish and European SMEs in China. This Whitepaper was produced with the support of the EU SME Centre, and includes interviews with multiple experts and renowned Swedish SMEs in order to give an overview of the current market climate in China and future prospects for Swedish and European SMEs. On 14th of December the key points and takeaways of this Whitepaper will be presented by the authors and some of the participating experts who were interviewed for this Whitepaper will also present their views on the Chinese market, and how their companies or organizations work to support Swedish and European SMEs in the Chinese market.

Sanya to build special zone for IP development (02/11/2023)

To improve IP protection and management on the island of Hainan, the island’s authorities are building the Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City Intellectual Property Special Zone. The special zone will have “the first and only branch centre in the country established by the China Copyright Protection Center”. The centre was designed to provide the services such as copyright verification and protection, value assessment, copyright trading, and the international exchange of copyrights mainly for software, cultural and literary productions and digital works.

Trade Fair | The 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE) (06/11/2023)

The China International Import Expo (CIIE) is a trade fair hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China and the Shanghai Municipal People's Government. The 6th CIIE will be held in Shanghai from November 5th to November 10th. This is one of the biggest trade fairs in China. The fair will facilitate participation in terms of customs clearance, inspection and quarantine, provide long-term one-stop transaction services online and offline, and strengthen protection of intellectual property rights to safeguard the rights and interests of merchants. The China IP SME Helpdesk IP Business Advisor will visit the trade fair to advise EU SMEs and SMEs from countries participating in the Single Market Programme with IP-related questions and to present the Helpdesk’s free-of-charge services.

CNIPA Deputy Commissioner Heads Delegation to Poland and Finland for a Working Visit (02/11/2023)

According to the CNIPA “Li Danlu, Deputy Commissioner of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) headed a delegation to Poland and Finland upon invitation for a working visit” in the past months. During the visit to Finland and Poland, the delegation discussed bilateral cooperation as well as issues of common concern and shared working experience on IP strategy-making.

Trade Fair | FHC 2023 Shanghai Global Food Trade Show (08/11/2023)

The FHC trade show is hosted by Shanghai Sinoexpo Informa Market International Exhibition Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Cuisine Association, China Chamber of Commerce of I/E of Foodstuffs, etc. After 26 years of growth and development, the FHC Shanghai Global Food Trade Show has become one of the leading trade exhibitions in the food and beverage industry and an important platform for major multinational corporations to enter the Chinese market. The FHC 2023 covers 10 food and beverage sectors including Meat and Aquatic Products, Leisure Food, Dairy, Sweets and Chocolate, Catering Supply Chain, Condiments and Oil, Coffee and Tea, Bakery and Light Meal, Food Processing and Packaging, Prefabricated Dishes and Central Kitchen. The China IP SME Helpdesk IP Business Advisor will visit the trade fair to advise EU SMEs and SMEs from countries participating in the Single Market Programme with IP-related questions and to present the Helpdesk’s free-of-charge services.

Trade Fair | China Hi-Tech Fair 2023 (15/11/2023)

China Hi-Tech Fair (CHTF) is jointly organsed by China’s Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, National Intellectual Property Administration, etc. CHTF makes commercialization of high-tech achievements, product exhibitions, high-level forums, investment promotions, and business exchange and cooperation, with a particular emphasis on showcasing advanced technologies and products in areas, such as ratification intelligence, cutting-edge equipment manufacturing, environmental protection, new generation information technology, new display technology, smart cities and digital healthcare. The role of the CHTF has been fully affirmed in advancing the industrialization of hi-tech achievements, the development of the exchange of new technologies from China and abroad, and international economic and technological exchanges and cooperation. The China IP SME Helpdesk IP Business Advisor will visit the trade fair to advise EU SMEs and SMEs from countries participating in the Single Market Programme with IP-related questions and to present the Helpdesk’s free-of-charge services

China’s market regulators dealt with 1,209 internet unfair competition cases in 2023 (07/10/2023)

According to the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), in 2023, the “market regulatory authorities across China have investigated and dealt with 1,209 internet unfair competition cases”. China’s market regulation authorities are focusing more heavily on the internet unfair competition cases also in the future, as the SAMAR recently launched a law enforcement campaign to combat unfair competition.

Trademark opposition application will go fully electronic from December (09/10/2023)

Short introductory paragraph: The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) announced that starting from 1 December 2023, all trademark opposition applications in China must be filed electronically. This would likely have no impact on EU SMEs as the opposition applications are filed by trademark attorneys, who will let their clients know the format of documents in an advance.

China’s Supreme People’s Court Typical Anti-Monopoly And Anti-Unfair Competition Cases (20/09/2023)

Interested in learning more about IP and anti-monopoly regulations in China? The China IP SME Helpdesk external expert Toby Mak from Tee Howe has written an analysis of 6 typical IP cases dealing with anti-monopoly and ani-unfair competition laws.

China strengthens patent examination for cutting-edge industries (02/10/2023)

In recent months, China has improved the examination of patents relating to the fields of big data, artificial intelligence (AI), and genetic technologies. More specifically, “It has revised examination standards for these cutting-edge industries, expanding patent scope and providing higher examination quality and efficiency”, according to Wu Hongxiu, Deputy Director of Patent Examination Management Department of CNIPA.

China sees new types of copyright crimes, business secret offenses surge (19/09/2023)

During the 12th China Intellectual Property Annual Conference held in Jinan in September 2023, the Supreme People's Procuratorate released statistics about the intellectual property related crimes in the first half of 2023. The country's top procuratorate highlighted new types of copyright infringement cases, mainly dealing with online infringements and trade secrets related infringements.

TIPO Offers New Examination Services for Design Patents (02/10/2023)

To combat design infringements and improve services to startups and design competition winners, the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) has started to offer accelerated examination services related to design patent applications as of 1st of September 2023. Read more to learn whether you could benefit from the accelerated examination services offering the examination results within 2 months of having received the application.

EU Industry Days 2023 (04/10/2023)

The EU Industry Days are Europe’s flagship annual event, serving as an open forum to discuss industrial challenges and co-create solutions and policy responses in an inclusive dialogue with a wide range of partners from industry, EU countries, civil society organisations, universities, and citizens. Register here

Matchmaking Event | Chem-Match: Corporates meet Startups 2023 "Green & Digital" (26/10/2023)

During Chem-Match on 26 and 27 October 2023, you have the possibility to meet the IP expert from China IP SME Helpdesk. Book a one-on-one meeting with the IP expert to discuss your IP matters and to get useful help and support.

Hybrid Event | Managing ESG in China: new compliance trends and IP considerations (19/10/2023)

With ever-comprehensive policy guidelines and developing new trends, ESG has become a hot topic in China that companies, big or small, cannot afford to ignore. A comprehensive ESG strategy that takes into account the newest reporting requirements and trends while also meeting not only the sustainability targets but also profit margins of companies is a must. In this seminar, two experts, Mr Dominik Nowak Eticor and Ms Lisa Lu from the China IP SME Helpdesk are invited to discuss different aspects of ESG helping companies to better navigate the field and design their own comprehensive ESG strategy for the China market.

Govt aims to boost foreign investment (30/08/2023)

The Chinese Government is taking measures to attract foreign investments, including measures related to strengthening IP protection. According to the officials “IPR infringements against foreign businesses will be the focal point of law enforcement activities, and the government will establish a rapid-response mechanism to handle cases and enhance protection efforts.” A rapid-response mechanism would be a welcomed step by SMEs.

TIPO Publishes English Version of Patent Examination Guidelines, Part II, Chapter 1 (07/08/2023)

With the aim of “enhancing the international IP community’s understanding of Taiwan’s patent examination process”, the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) has published the English version of the “Patent Examination Guidelines, Part II: Substantive Examination for Invention Patents, Chapter 1”. The guidelines could be used by SMEs to assess whether their patent applications meet the requirements of the IP office.

CNIPA releases major IP statistics from January to July 2023 (18/08/2023)

According to the statistics, the number of invention patents granted increased by over 9%, while the number of utility model patents and design patens decreased considerably. Trademark registrations also saw an increase.

Trade Fair | 2023 China International Fair For Trade In Service (CIFTIS) (02/09/2023)

CIFTIS is the largest comprehensive exhibition in the field of global trade in services and the leading exhibition in the field of trade in services in China. CIFTIS covers 12 major sectors including transport, travel, construction, insurance services, financial services, telecommunications, computer and information services, intellectual property royalties, personal, cultural, and recreational services, maintenance and repair services, other business services, processing services, and government services.

IPR Workshop | China Market Discovery Program (07/09/2023)

The China IP SME Helpdesk supports the German Accelerator China Market Discovery Program with an IP-related workshop. During the workshop, every startup will have a one-on-one consultation session with Ms Lisa Lu, the IP Business Advisor at China IP SME Helpdesk, to discuss IP strategies for the China market.

Trade Fair | The 23rd China International Industry Fair (CIIF) (19/09/2023)

China International Industry Fair (CIIF) was launched in 1999, and so far has become one of the most influential international industry brand exhibition in China, through implementing "professionalization, marketization, internationalization and branding" as its strategies for over 20 years.

Riga Food 2023 - B2B Marketplace (07/09/2023)

The B2B Marketplace brings together companies (buyers as well as suppliers) from a large number of countries. This is a unique opportunity to generate new business contacts and contracts. The model is time - and cost efficient and result in business! Meetings will take place in a Riga Food exhibitor stands, dedicated area at Innovation booth and online, and will be arranged in advance by means of this website

Contact us at question@china-iprhelpdesk.eu (27/01/2021)

If you have any questions regarding IP in China please contact us at question@china-iprhelpdesk.eu

Trade Fair | 2023 China International Fair For Trade In Service (CIFTIS) (03/08/2023)

CIFTIS is the largest comprehensive exhibition in the field of global trade in services and the leading exhibition in the field of trade in services in China.

IP China Suspension Of Trademark Procedures Finally Possible In China (07/07/2023)

An explanation of the impact of the China National Intellectual Property Admisnitration’s (CNIPA) latest Regulation on Trademark Review and Adjudication.

Courts to better protect IPR (21/07/2023)

In July, high people's courts in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei signed an agreement to collaborate on IP issues, aiming to improve enforcement in the region

Shen Changyu Heads Delegation to EU, French Authorities for Working Meetings (24/07/2023)

A delegation led by Shen Changyu, Commissioner of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), visited the authorities of the European Union and France in July.

Riga Food 2023 - B2B Marketplace (07/08/2023)

A unique opportunity to generate new business contacts and contracts.

China’s institutional reforms and what it means for resolving IP disputes (18/07/2023)

The article explores the impact of an institutional change on ADR mechanisms. A One-Stop ADR platform for IP disputes will be created under CNIPA, benefiting international IP disputes and European SME