"China IP SME Helpdesk Newsletter" Newsletter Issues

CNIPA to increase fees for the international phase of PCT applications (28/06/2023)

The China National Intellectual Property Administration(CNIPA) issued a notice to increase fees in RMB for the international phase of PCT applications. It will come into effect on July 1, 2023.

China-France PPH pilot program launched on June (03/07/2023)

On 1 June 2023, the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) project between China and France will come to effect. “PPH is a fast-track way to leverage patent examination procedures of different countries or

CNIPA Commissioner Meets EU Ambassador to China on June 6 (30/06/2023)

On June 6, Ambassador of the European Union to China Mr. Jorge Toledo met with the Commissioner of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) Mr. Shen Changyu to discuss IP related matters between China and the EU. The two sides discussed “trademark protection, pharmaceutical patent protection, protection and cooperation in geographical indication, IPR protection in e-commerce and other issues.”

IP Workshop | Design Protection in China, Session II on July 6th (06/07/2023)

The China-Italy Chamber of Commerce (CICC) and its Intellectual Property Working Group (IPWG) with the China IP SME Helpdesk jointly organise a Two-session IP Workshop “Design Protection in China”. The last session will be on July 6th.

Hybrid Seminar | Protecting your Innovations in China: Update in Legal Changes on July 12th (12/07/2023)

The Swedish Chamber of Commerce in China and the China IP SME Helpdesk jointly organise a hybrid seminar on July 12.

IP Considerations for innovative tech companies (13/07/2023)

China is aiming at becoming more self-reliant in science and technology. From an IP perspective, more challenges may occur for innovative SMEs.

Trial run of online software copyright registration in China starts from June 1 (30/05/2023)

Trial run of online software copyright registration in China will start from June 1, according to a notice released by the Copyright Protection Center of China(CPCC) on May 25.

More proposed amendments to Chinese trademark law (31/05/2023)

In January 2023, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) published the Draft Amendments to the Trademark Law for public consultation. The recent Draft Amendments propose substantial changes to the Trademark Law, including strengthened measures to fight against bad-faith trademark applications, providing more means to rights holders to challenge these applications. The China IP SME Helpdesk external expert Mr Thomas Pattloch and Ms Louise Popple from TaylorWessing Law Firm have drafted an in-depth analysis of the proposed changes to the Trademark Law. Special thanks to Dr. Thomas Pattloch and TaylorWessing.

ITMA (08/06/2023)

ITMA is the world's most influential textile and garment technology exhibition.

IP Considerations during B2B Meetings in China (13/06/2023)

Join us for valuable insights and practical guidance on IP considerations for businesses engaging in B2B meetings and collaborations in China.

How to protect your Intellectual Property Rights at trade fairs internationally? (Co-Organised by the INT-HDs x EEIA) (20/06/2023)

Trade fairs are becoming more and more complicated. It is a time for new ideas and technologies, but also for fraud and counterfeiting. The industry is constantly evolving, but it can be difficult to keep up with all the changes.

PCI Days (21/06/2023)

The PCI Days fair is the only international B2B fair in Poland, integrating the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries in one place.

Torino Fashion Match (28/06/2023)

The 2023 edition of the Torino Fashion Match is going to take place next 28-30 June in Torino, Italy.

International IP SME Helpdesks: the new edition has just started (08/05/2023)

The new edition, launched by the Directorate General Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs and the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) of the European Commission, complements the European IP Helpdesk and the African IP Helpdesk. The new edition of the Intellectual Property Helpdesks intends to provide free-of-charge assistance relating to intellectual property issues to SMEs doing business with or in the target markets, based in the EU and in Single Market Programme (SMP​) countries.This service consists in providing 'first-line' assistance, which does not extend, for instance, to the drafting of patent applications or of contracts, so as not to compete with existing law firms or other operators.

Women in Intellectual Property: Celebrating their Innovation and Creativity (03/05/2023)

In the occasion of the World IP Day 2023, we recently spoke with Catherine Heng Yee Huynh, a bi-cultural and enthusiastic Intellectual Property Law and Data Privacy lawyer based in Paris, France. She is the founding partner of the law firm CATHERINE HENG YEE HUYNH and has expertise in the protection of creations, especially in France, mainland China and Hong Kong. Catherine shared with us the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in the IP domain, including the fact that women are still underrepresented in the field.

David Guetta, ChatGPT, AI: which copyright in China (08/05/2023)

ChatGPT is the new buzzword in China, leaving many wonder about the authorship and ownership of the works created with the help of ChatGPT and other similar AI applications. In this article, the China IP SME Helpdesk external expert Mr Reinout van Malenstein explains where the Chinese copyright law stands on this matter.

More proposed amendments to Chinese trademark law 2 March 2023 (08/05/2023)

In January 2023, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) published the Draft Amendments to the Trademark Law for public consultation. The recent Draft Amendments propose substantial changes to the Trademark Law, including strengthened measures to fight against bad-faith trademark applications, providing more means to rights holders to challenge these applications. The China IP SME Helpdesk external expert Mr Thomas Pattloch and Ms Louise Popple from TaylorWessing Law Firm have drafted an in-depth analysis of the proposed changes to the Trademark Law.

TIPO’s New Trademark Online Application System Launched (08/03/2023)

The Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) recently launched a new trade mark online application system to improve online trade mark registrations. According to TIPO, the new application system “offers a range of frequently-used application forms, such as those for graphic, color, sound, and three-dimensional trademarks, as well as certification marks.

Regulator takes aim at trademark squatting (01/03/2023)

The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) remains committed to fighting against bad faith trade mark registrations and trade mark squatting – a practice whereby a malicious entity in China registers a third party’s trade mark with the aim of selling it back to the legitimate owner at an inflated price. The CNIPA is currently in the process of amending the Trade Mark Law. The new Trade Mark Law is expected to “further specify situations of malicious trademark registrations and highlight the principle of prohibiting the abuse of trademark rights

Foreign Entities Own 861,000 Valid Invention Patents in China by the End of 2022 (08/05/2023)

The CNIPA has recently released the 2022 intellectual property filing statistics. According to the statistics, in 2022 the number of patens in China owned by foreign entities reached 861,000, representing a 4.5% increase year-on-year. The number of trade marks owned by foreign entities reached 2.03 million.

TIPO’s New Trademark Online Application System Launched (08/05/2023)

The Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) recently launched a new trade mark online application system to improve online trade mark registrations. According to TIPO, the new application system “offers a range of frequently-used application forms, such as those for graphic, color, sound, and three-dimensional trademarks, as well as certification marks”.

Legal support, reduced costs promised for IPR (08/05/2023)

The Chinese courts are determined to improve trademark protection and reduce the costs of IP protection. To this end, the authorities plan to“ implement an IP cooperative protection guideline jointly issued by the top court and the China National Intellectual Property Administration in February, calling for all courts to strictly abide by the Trademark Law and the Anti-Unfair Competition Law to help innovators reduce their costs in protecting IP rights”

More litigants choose to resolve IP disputes in China (08/05/2023)

The annual report issued by the Intellectual Property Court of the Supreme People's Court reveals that more foreign litigants are choosing to resolve international intellectual property disputes in China. The China IP SME Helpdesk reminds EU SMEs that choosing China as a jurisdiction of dispute litigation in case of IP-related contracts with Chinese partners is a wise decision, as it makes it much easier to enforce the court decisions in China, something that foreign SMEs oftentimes overlook.

Market access information for the EU-Taiwan Matchmaking Event (08/05/2023)

A preparatory webinar for EU clusters to receive information on doing business in Taiwan and guidance on how to participate successfully in the EU – Taiwan Matchmaking Event, which will take place between 30 May-1 June.

Bionnale 2023 (16/05/2023)

Bionnale will gather representatives from academia and industry. More than 1000 attendees from over 50 countries in 2022 participated in the 2022 edition. The China IP SME Helpdesk will participate to engage with European SMEs and increase awareness about IP protection in China.

SIAL Global Food Industry Summit – SIAL Shanghai (18/05/2023)

The trade fair SIAL Shanghai will be held in the Shanghai New International Expo Center from May 18th to 20th, 2023. With an exhibition area of 180,000 m2, it is expected to attract 4,500 exhibitors and more than 150,000 professionals from all over the world. The fair covers food, beverages, catering ingredients, and hospitality services. The IP Business Advisor at China IP SME Helpdesk will attend the SIAL in Shanghai, to approach EU SME and SMP SME exhibitors to present its free services and answer any enquiries by the exhibitors.

Textile Connect 2023 (08/05/2023)

Textile Connect is an online platform that facilitates connections between companies, designers, and production partners within the textile industry.

Connect Day 2023 (03/05/2023)

Connect Day 2023 is the main matchmaking event of ViennaUP’23 for Start-ups, Corporates/SMEs and Investors.

IP rights on cross-border e-commerce platforms in China: Do’s and don’ts (08/09/2022)

Need more information about the legal aspects of cross-border e-commerce in China? What do you need to be careful for, and how do you develop an IP strategy when selling your products? An IP expert of the China IP SME Helpdesk will provide best practices on how to protect your company’s assets online during the BCECC’s webinar “IP rights on cross-border e-commerce platforms in China: Do’s and don’ts” on September 8, 2022 at 11:00 CET (17:00 CST).

From Muji to Manolo: unpicking China’s first-to-file system. (02/09/2022)

Traditionally, trade marks unregistered in China receive no protection if they are not famous on the market, meaning that consumers associate the brand with a specific company. So far, the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) only accepted domestic evidence to prove the status of the trade mark on the market. In Ryohin Keikaku (Muji) v TRAB, the SPC ruled that the evidence collected on the use of Muji (a Japanese company) in Japan and Hong Kong, including evidence on the trade mark's fame in those jurisdictions, could not be used to prove that the mark was famous in China. Based on these grounds, the SPC rejected the claim of trade mark ownership over the brand MUJI requested by a Chinese applicant. However, recently in the case of Manolo Blahnik v TRAB, the SPC allowed the use of evidence regarding the existing fame of the brand before the disputed mark was applied. The company has not been selling directly in China, it has courted Chinese luxury consumers via stores in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei and Seoul. This case could be seen as a turning point in more than 20 years old legal dispute and maybe a new guiding case for many other similar cases of luxury brands that are still pending.

Online and offline protection of European Brands and Innovations (07/09/2022)

The session is organised by the International IP SME Helpdesks to illuminate EU SMEs on do’s and don’ts when faced with infringement or counterfeits of their brands and products in international markets. The objective of the session is to provide a brief outline of avenues of infringement in respective markets, the public authorities in charge, the legal remedies and enforcement measures available in Africa, China, India, and Latin America.

IP Protection and Enforcement in Africa, China, India & Latin America - Online and offline protection of European Brands and Innovations (07/09/2022)

IPR-Intensive industries contribute to over 45% of EU economy and 29% of employment. The increase in online e-commerce platforms has eased promotion and distribution of counterfeit products worldwide, making it a priority issue for enforcement authorities and a main concern for Innovative enterprises. Recent OECD & EUIPO study on illicit trade and counterfeited goods saw India, China, and countries of SEA regions as top 10 provenance countries for counterfeit goods. Additionally, the EUIPO study found that counterfeit goods resulted in a loss of over 60 billion euros to the EU economy.

Online Trade Fair | Codex4SMEs 2020-2023 | Matchmaking Platform for Personalized Medicine (30/09/2022)

SMEs, pharma companies, manufacturers, service providers, research teams, clinicians, cluster organisations active in the area of Personalized Medicine, focused on: - (Companion) Diagnostics - Lab-on-a-chip - In Vitro Diagnostics - Artificial Intelligence & Imaging - Wearables - Bioinformatics - eHealth - Financing & Investments - And all who are interested in improving personalized medicine The China IPR SME Helpdesk IP Business Advisor will attend this fair, to approach EU SME participants, presenting its free services and answering any enquiries by the participants

Renewed Anti-Monopoly Law Aims to Innovative, Fair Environment for Doing Business (29/07/2022)

The Anti-Monopoly Law of the People’s Republic of China was recently revised and is set to enter into force on the 1st of August 2022. The amended law increases monetary fines for monopolistic acts and introduces “civil public interest litigation” which “ allows procuratorates in cities with subordinate districts to file such litigation at People's Courts”. The Anti-Monopoly Law has close connection to IP as explained by Ning Lizhi, Dean of IP and Competition Law Institute, Wuhan University:” If a right holder, however, abuses IP to exclude and restrict competition, the Anti-Monopoly Law may come into play.”

SAVE THE DATE! 'The Unitary Patent System - A Game Changer for Innovation in Europe' (17/11/2022)

Join the conference marking the new milestone in the completion of the EU’s single market for innovation. This conference will welcome a host of high-level speakers, including the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Economy, the EU Commissioner for the Internal Market (tbc) and the President of the European Patent Office. They will discuss the various avenues the Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court will open up for IP protection, as well as their potential to boost innovation across Europe. It`s an opportunity you cannot miss!

2022 Most Recommended International IP Agencies (29/07/2022)

See which the most recommended international IP agencies are by China IP magazine.

Partial Draft Amendments to the Copyright Collective Management Organization Act Passes Third Reading at the Legislative Yuan (29/07/2022)

In April 2022, the Taiwanese legislative body passed the Copyright Collective Management Organization Act at the third reading. This act will improve the management of Collective Management Organisations and will make them more transparent as well as facilitate the circulation of copyrighted works.

China to strengthen protection of trade secrets (29/07/2022)

This month, the State Administration for Market Regulation held a conference on the protection of trade secrets. During the conference pilot work on trade secret protection across the country was launched. The pilot program, which will be carried out in at least 20 cities and regions, “aims to benchmark its [trade secret] protection standards with international rules”. Trade secret protection is cruicial for EU SMEs and complexity of trade secret-related enforcement actions has been one of the more significant difficulties EU SMEs experience in China in terms of IP protection.

The Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court are expected to become operational in early 2023 (29/07/2022)

The EU Single Market is about to enter a new era of promoting investment in innovation. The long-awaited arrival of the Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court, set to become operational in early 2023, will boost the development and trade of IP-intensive goods and services, spark up FDI flows and facilitate the scaling-up of European innovative SMEs.

Why CNIPA doesn't suspend Trademark procedures in case of pending prejudicial procedure (23/06/2022)

Many EU SMEs file a trade mark in China and receive a preliminary rejection from the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) because of a prior similar or identical trade mark. The SMEs may then, with the help of a lawyer, try to file a non-use cancellation to invalidate the prior mark and appeal against the refusal. In many cases, however, the CNIPA may decide on the appeal before they hear the non-use cancellation case, leaving many SMEs frustrated. In this article China IP SME Helpdesk external expert Fabio Giacopello explains why this happens. To avoid uncertain proceedings, Mr. Giacopello recommends that SMEs always carry out a pre-filing trade mark search to discover any prior similar trade marks.

China issues draft AMDs to collective marks and certification marks (23/06/2022)

On 7 June the CNIPA started public consultations on the draft amendments to the “Measures for the Administration and Protection of Collective Marks and Certification Marks”. The draft amendments aim to solve many legal issues around the use of collective trade marks, such as the issue of the mark becoming a generic name. Producers of goods protected by EU geographical indications should closely follow these legal developments.

SAMR released the Annual Report of China on Anti-Monopoly Law Enforcement (2021) (20/06/2022)

The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has recently released the Annual Report of China on Anti-Monopoly Law Enforcement (2021). The report indicates that “the SAMR has resolutely implemented the strategies, […to] improve the fair competition system, [and to ] promote in-depth implementation of fair competition policies.”

China speeds up smooth execution of patent open license system (30/06/2022)

SMEs who are interested in China’s patent open license system are welcome to read the Trial Program on Patent Open License, a document that highlights the experiences of local provinces, patentees and companies wishing to take up such licenses. Cao Xinming, Director of IP Research Center, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law highlights the benefits of the patent open license system to SMEs: "The patent open license system accelerates patent commercialization, graduating rights to profits. SMEs have a broader technology supply channel, acquire new technologies at lower costs, which definitely could propel their quality development."

Changes in China’s IP legislation and implications for SMEs (30/06/2022)

The China IP SME Helpdesk, the Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce (FCCC) and the EU-China Business Association are happy to invite you to the upcoming online training on 14 July, 10:00 CEST. Mr Thomas Pattloch, IP Expert of the China IP SME Helpdesk, will provide an overview of the legislative changes in China’s IP laws and their important implications for European SMEs.

B2WORTH@TorinoFashionMatch 2022 (07/07/2022)

Textile|Fashion|Design & Creative Industries: Clothes, footwear, leather, accessories and Jewelry

Marrakesh Treaty for print-disabled people takes effect in China (27/05/2022)

In May 2022, the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled came to force in China. The Treaty aims to eliminate copyright-related obstacles for visually impaired people. According to China’s National Copyright Administration, “the enforcement of the treaty will substantially enrich the cultural life of the print-disabled population, and improve the quality of their education”.

Meet the IP Business Advisor Weeks (15/06/2022)

The China IP SME Helpdesk is organising the „Meet the IP Business Advisor Weeks” initiative. During the two weeks period we will offer free 1:1 online consultation sessions for SMEs interested in IP protection, management or enforcement in China.

Webinar | IP Customs Protection - Case Studies (14/06/2022)

This program is organised by the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce (CICC) Intellectual Property Working Group (IPWG) together with the China IP SME Helpdesk. It is the last session of the series of programs.

Seed ID technology helps better protect owners' IPR (27/05/2022)

Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory in Sanya has developed a method to identify seed varieties at the molecular level to identify and fight counterfeit seeds. The method is called MNP marker which according to the Laboratory “can obtain identifications for crop varieties with much higher efficiency and 99.98 percent accuracy”. The method can be used to “help detect counterfeits and quickly clarify the intellectual property owners of imported germ plasm resources”. It is certainly an interesting invention for SMEs engaged in the developmet of new plant varieties.

Partnering for Success: How to Find, Select and Secure Business Partners in China (07/06/2022)

The EU SME Centre, ihas co-organised with the China IP SME Helpdesk and the Camara de Comércio e Indústria Luso-Chinesa (CCILC) this onsite workshop for those SMEs who would like to start doing business in China by engaging a third party. Our experts will share practical information that will help participating companies find, select and secure suitable business partner(s).

SPC streamlines courts of original jurisdiction over IP cases (27/05/2022)

In May 2022, the “Certain Provisions for the Hierarchy of Courts of Original Jurisdiction over Civil and Administrative IP Litigation” came to force. These Provisions aim to streamline the structure of the courts where disputes over intellectual property rights are adjudicated for the first time. According to the Provisions, “specialized intellectual property courts, intermediate people’s courts at capitals of provinces, autonomous regions, and special municipalities, and intermediate people’s courts purposefully assigned by the SPC shall have original jurisdiction over seven types of civil and administrative IP disputes involving intense scientific and technical elements, such as invention patents, utility model patents, new plant varieties, layout designs of integrated circuits, trade secrets, computer software copyrights, and monopolistic practices.”

OVERVIEW OF CHINA'S "STANDARDS FOR DETERMINING GENERAL TRADEMARK VIOLATIONS" (27/05/2022)

In January 2022, the Standards for Determining General Trademark Violations came to force. The Standards identify concrete guidelines for judging trade mark violations and impose stricter requirements for trade marks. In this article, China IP SME Helpdesk external expert Mr. Jian Xu provides a detailed overview of the Standards.

China to introduce stricter utility model examination rules (27/05/2022)

In March 2022, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) issued the Annual Guidelines for Facilitating High-Quality Development of Intellectual Property 2022. The guidelines aim to improve the overall quality of China’s utility model patents. It is proposed to introduce stricter utility model examination rules to improve the quality of utility models, however, the level of inventive step required for a utility model is expeted to be lower than the one for invention patents.

ACPAA's 2022-2025 Action Plan To Enhance Quality Of Patent Attorney Industry (25/04/2022)

In April, the All China Patent Attorney Association (ACPAA) published high-level targets that the organisation aims to achieve by 2025. Amongst the targets are a 12% increase in practicing patent attorneys as well as increasing China’s litigation talent.China IP SME Helpdesk external expert Toby Mak shares with us his thoughts on the ACPAA’s targets.

China to introduce Marrakech Treaty (25/04/2022)

On 05 May, the Marrakech Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled will come to force in China. The Marrakech Treaty will facilitate access to copyrighted reading materials, including foreign reading materials to visually impared people in China. This is a welcomed step by the visually impared community.

Beijing passes intellectual property rights protection regulations (26/04/2022)

In the beginning of April, Beijing published its new set of Intellectual Property Rights Protection Regulations. “According to the regulations, city authorities will support the intellectual property (IP) rights protection of strategic emerging industries, such as new materials, new energy, and aerospace”. What is interesting to IP owners, is that these industries will be subject accelerated review of their IP.

Copyright Registrations of China: Facts and Figures 2021 (26/04/2022)

The National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC) issued 2021 copyright statistics. According to the statistics a total of of 6,264,378 copyright registrations were made in China in 2021, up by 24.3% from 2020. Amongst those, almost half (2,280,063) were software registrations. Read the article to learn more.

Online Trade Fair | Codex4SMEs 2020-2023 | Matchmaking Platform for Personalized Medicine (21/04/2022)

This is the virtual trade fair for SMEs, pharma companies, manufacturers, service providers, research teams, clinicians, cluster organisations active in the area of Personalized Medicine. The China IPR SME Helpdesk IP Business Advisor will attend this fair, to approach EU SME participants, presenting its free services and answering any enquiries by the participants.

CIBUS 2022 (03/05/2022)

Cibus, the international exhibition of Made in Italy food, will take place from 3 to 6 May 2022 in Parma. Cibus, International Food Exhibition, is the most important fair dedicated to the Italian agri-food sector. Institutions, trade associations, companies and professionals in the Made in Italy agri-food sector meet to outline together the future strategies for food business. The Exhibition represents an opportunity to establish and develop commercial relationships at an international level, while looking to the future and to innovation. The China IP SME Helpdesk will participate to introduce the free services to European SMEs and explore cooperation opportunities with business support organistions.

Bringing Value to Agrobiomass - 3rd Edition (20/04/2022)

This online matchmaking event the third of its kind and part of the EU-funded project AgroBioHeat which is focused on mass deployment of improved and market ready agrobiomass heating solutions in Europe. Agrobiomass is a large, underexploited and indigenous resource, which can support the achievement of the European Energy and Climate targets, while promoting rural development and circular economy. This matchmaking is not only focused on heating, but on all beneficial uses of agrobiomass and side streams from food production in a circular bio-economy. The China IP SME Helpdesk IP Business Advisor will attend this fair, to approach EU SME exhibitors, presenting its free services and answering any enquiries by the exhibitors.

Austrian Technology Days New Taipei City 2022 (17/05/2022)

New Taipei City is a fast growing urban area with ambitious plans for sustainable city development. The city's government has identified key areas where there is a particular need for new and innovative technological solutions to adress growing urban challenges: - Waste Water Management - Waste Management - Green Energy Solutions Technology providers and interested parties are cordially invited to join this event and learn how Austrian high-tech solutions can address Taiwan's challenges in these technology sectors. The China IPR SME Helpdesk IP Business Advisor will attend this fair, to approach EU SME exhibitors, presenting its free services and answering any enquiries by the exhibitors.

Med2Meet – virtual healthcare cooperation day (18/05/2022)

This is a unique opportunity, organised in the framework of the Polish Medical Devices Promotion Program and the Enterprise Europe Network, to establish new business contacts, find contractors, exchange information and gather experience regarding the latest market trends in the medtech industry. The model is time- and cost-efficient and results in business! Key topics - Medical devices and equipment, - Personal protective equipment, - Orthopedics, - Dentistry, - Medical furniture, - Diagnostics The China IPR SME Helpdesk IP Business Advisor will attend this fair, to approach EU SME participants presenting its free services and answering any enquiries by the participants.

Warsaw Food Expo (17/05/2022)

It is one of two most important sector-specific events in Poland, dedicated to the agro-food sector. It is the business nature event and a perfect space for a dialogue between food manufacturers and food distributors. In WARSAW FOOD EXPO participate representatives of retail chains, distributors and wholesalers, e-commerce industry and the HoReCa sector. Within the Hosted Buyers program, which has been an integral part of the fair for two years, participate in the event also foreign buyers interested in importing food to their countries. The China IP SME Helpdesk will participate to introduce the free services to European SMEs and explore cooperation opportunities with business support organistions.

China launches national pilot scheme of innovative trade secret protection (30/03/2022)

Trade secret protection has always been challenging to SMEs due to complicated requirements of evidence collection and heavy burden of proof, so it is good to see efforts towards improving trade secret protection. According to the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), “15 to 20 city-level and county-level administrative units across the country will be selected as test areas where innovative trade secret enforcement and protection will be exercised for the duration of 3 years.

Chinese Government Work Report Highlights IP Protection and Use in 2022 (30/03/2022)

The Government Work Report was delivered during the Fifth Session of Thirteenth National People's Congress which opened on 5 March 2022. The Work Report pays special attention to IP protection, according to the Government Work Report, “China will further beef up IPR protection and application, build up digital industries such as integrated circuits and facilitate intangible cultural heritage protection, make the most of the legacy of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics”

Trademark Examination and Trial Guide Responded to Public Concerns (30/03/2022)

To improve trade mark examination, the Trademark Office of China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) issued interpretations of the Trademark Examination and Trial Guide. According to CNIPA “the Guide adds an elaboration on concepts related to distinctiveness of trademarks to urge trademark examiners to better grasp the connotation and denotation of distinctiveness of trademarks, and to more accurately determine whether a trademark is distinctive and whether it can be registered, so as to ensure that the consistency of the implementation of the standards and the correctness of the examination conclusions to improve the quality of the examination; and also to remind applicants to choose more distinctive signs when applying for registration of trademarks”.

China's top court releases 55 guiding principles for IP cases 2021 (30/03/2022)

On February 28, China’s the Intellectual Property (IP) Court of the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) published 55 guiding principles it had identified in rulings issued in 2021. These guiding principles serve as examples for the other courts, but also provide information for the SMEs on what the courts will take into account when making their decisions. Some of these cases are illustrated in the article.

IP Protection in China when running R&D activities (12/04/2022)

Developing an Intellectual property (IP) strategy is a critical consideration for European SMEs expanding in China, which also applies to research and development (R&D) activities. As outcome of R&D, new intellectual property is being created so a company’s IPRs need to be clearly defined. European SMEs may run into problems navigating the ins and outs of ownership of IP. Mr Jari E. Vepsäläinen, IP expert of the China IP SME Helpdesk, will provide an online training on best practices to avoid disputes over IP during joint R&D activities. The event is organized by the China IP SME Helpdesk, the Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce (FCCC) and the EU-China Business Association.

FoodTechnology2022 (13/04/2022)

During Food Technology 2022, food and high-tech come together with the aim of helping the food industry on its way to 2050. During these two days, the following themes will be discussed: - Factory of the future - Sustainable and transparent food chains - Innovations in food - Food safety - Food lab The China IP SME Helpdesk will participate to introduce the free services to European SMEs and explore cooperation opportunities with business support organistions.

Sustainable Foodtech Solutions (26/04/2022)

Sustainable Foodtech Solutions is a B2B event held during Anuga FoodTec 2022, a platform where experts and decision-makers from all areas of the food and beverage industry come together to jointly develop new and sustainable approaches for the F&B sector.

IP Protection Strategy in China (11/03/2022)

The workshop titled “The IP Protection Strategy in China” on March 11 is a tailor-made training for the SMEs participating in the market access programme organised by the German Accelerator. The IP Business Advisor at China IP SME Helpdesk will offer expert tips on how to design a comprehensive IP protection strategy targeted at the China Market. The IP Business Advisor will explain how to avoid the most common mistakes that SMEs often make with many practical case studies connected to China.

Brand Protection in China (24/03/2022)

VDMA China Chapter and China IP SME Helpdesk jointly organise a series of webinars to discuss practical intellectual property rights protection in China. The past 2 sessions were about the main differences between the intellectual property systems in Europe and China and common IP-related mistakes SMEs make in China. The last session held on March 24 focuses on brand protection in China. The IP Business Advisor will provide an overview of trade mark registration, brand building and enforcing one’s rights in case of an infringement. The IP Business Advisor will also discuss new types of infringements involving copyrights to infringe on brands.

China cracks down on Olympic trademark infringements (24/02/2022)

Winter Olympics in Beijing brought along a wave of malicious trade mark registrations. Various entities tried to register the name of the Olympic mascot Bing Dwen Dwen (the cute panda) and the name of the Chinese free ski superstar Gu Ailing (Eileen Gu) as trade marks. The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) blocked all such registration attempts. A lesson leant, if your brand name becomes even little known in China, there will be someone who tries to register it, so register it yourself before your brand name is gone.

TIPO Introduces Green Patent Revisions to Accelerated Examination Program on January 1, 2022 (24/02/2022)

Does your invention help to save resources or make the economy greener? If yes, you can now benefit from the accelerated patent examinations proceedures in Taiwan to obtain patents faster than via the regular route. Your patent examination results will be issued within 6 months. Talk to your patent agent to make sure that you can benefit from this excellent program.

IP Protection and Enforcement in China (22/03/2022)

This training provides SMEs to get first-hand information from a renowned IP expert, and also ask questions regarding their products and/or innovations. 1-on-1 meetings of 20 minutes following the webinar can be booked separately. Please contact Timm Rohweder (timm.rohweder@hk24.de) directly for further information. The webinar is organized by the China IP SME Helpdesk in cooperation with the Hamburg and Bremen Chamber of Commerce.

How to protect your intellectual property in China? (09/03/2022)

Improvements in China's intellectual property laws and regulations will also benefit foreign intellectual property owners wishing to do business in China. An IP strategy remains an integral part of any business strategy, and therefore of crucial importance for SMEs. Learn more about current intellectual property protection efforts in China from IP and patent attorneys at the China IP SME Helpdesk. In this webinar, our expert, Thomas Pattloch, explains the differences in IP, patent and trademark registrations in China, discusses pitfalls and provides practical tips.

China to end patent subsidies by 2025 (24/02/2022)

According to the CNIPA, “China plans to stop all patent subsidies by 2025 to help shift its intellectual property focus from quantity to quality”. This would hopefully bring down the number of patent application and shorter patent examination times. It would also weed out bad quality patents and boost innovation.

Olympics shows IPR protection of China (24/02/2022)

China has taken various measure to protect the intellectual property rights revolving around the Olympics, such as the promotion of licensed sales of Olympic souvenirs and protecting the Olympic broadcast rights. According to the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) “The Olympics provides a great opportunity to further foster public awareness of intellectual property rights, as it is a major event that has aroused the interest of people around the country”

China Joins Two Key WIPO Treaties (24/02/2022)

In Feburary 2022, China joined Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs as well as the Marrakesh Treaty which facilitates the distribution of copyrighted works to blind and visually impared people. China’s accession to the Hague System comes to force in May 2022. This will be a notable development in China’s IP system for European SMEs who will then be able to extend their European designs to China via the WIPO.