187 articles
Key Amendments to the Chinese Trademark Law
The newly revised Trademark Law will officially come into effect on January 1, 2027. It consists of 9 chapters and 87 articles in total, with the core substanti…
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Software Copyright Registrations in China Reach 3.1828 Million in 2025, Up 12.58%
The National Copyright Administration of China released China’s Copyright Protection and Development Status (2025), which disclosed the following information.
Read article ↗Arguments Concerning Technical Motivation in Responses to Inventiveness Objections
In the process of responding to office actions, arguing inventiveness is often a difficult point in convincing examiners, especially with regard to “common gene…
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Trademark Assignment Likely to Cause Confusion or Adverse Effects
Trademark assignment, as an important means of transferring trademark rights, helps revitalize trademark resources and boost the development of the brand econom…
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Searching Figurative Trademarks by Image
When conducting a similarity search for a figurative trademark on the China Trademark Website of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), can a trademark image file be uploaded to perform the search?
Read article ↗Key Highlights of the New Judicial Interpretation on Punitive Damages
The Supreme People’s Court of China has issued a new judicial interpretation on punitive damages in intellectual property cases, formally titled the Interpretat…
Read article ↗China Accounts for Approximately 60% of Global AI Patents
According to data from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), China has become the world’s largest holder of artificial intelligence patents, acco…
Read article ↗Revisions to the Examination Rules for "Double Filing on the Same Day" under the Latest Examination Guidelines
"Double filing on the same day" refers to the specific legal act whereby the same applicant files both an invention patent application and a utility model paten…
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Time Limits for Changing Inventors
What are the time limits for changing inventors in a Chinese patent application? Will a request filed after the prescribed deadline necessarily be refused?
Read article ↗Notes on the Use of Registered Trademarks in China
In China, upon the approval of registration of a trademark by the Trademark Office, the trademark registrant shall enjoy the exclusive right to use the trademark. The reg…
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Recent Developments in China’s IP Examination
From 2021 to 2025, China’s patent and trademark examination system underwent a major upgrade.
Read article ↗China Shifting Patent Policy from Quantity to Quality
Against the backdrop of China’s leading position in global patent filing applications, the Chinese government has gradually shifted its policy focus in recent y…
Read article ↗The IP Tribunal of the Supreme Court Has Accepted Over 24,000 Cases Since Its Establishment
Since its establishment on January 1, 2019, the Intellectual Property Tribunal of the Supreme Court of China (the Tribunal) has accepted a total of 24,602 cases…
Read article ↗Addressing Lack-of-Support Objections in Biochemical Patent Applications: Antibody Sequence Limitations
In the practice of patent validity determination in the biochemical field, Article 26, Paragraph 4 of the Chinese Patent Law (Claims shall be supported by the specificati…
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The Core Impact of Determining the Technical Problem on the Assessment of Inventiveness
When assessing whether an invention is eligible for patent protection, inventiveness constitutes one of the core criteria of assessment, as it directly relates to the rec…
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Inventor Identity Information in Patent Applications
What inventor identity information must be provided in a patent application request form under the revised Chinese Patent Examination Guidelines?
Read article ↗Guidelines for Multiple Applications of Partial Design Patents
In October 2025, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) issued the Guidelines for Multiple Applications of Design Patents. The core pro…
Read article ↗CNIPA Implements the Measures for Expedited Examination of Trademark Registration Applications
On July 7, 2025, the CNIPA officially implemented the Measures for Expedited Examination of Trademark Registration Applications. Compared with the Measures (Tri…
Read article ↗China IP Data Express
〇In November 2025, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) announced that the average examination period for invention patents in China …
Read article ↗Protection and Practical Strategies for Bitstream Inventions under the Amended Patent Examination Guidelines
On November 10, 2025, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released the Decision on Amending the Guidelines for Patent Examination. The documen…
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Summary of Key Revisions to the Guidelines for Patent Examination
On November 10, 2025, the CNIPA issued the Decision of the China National Intellectual Property Administration on Amending the Patent Examination Guidelines. The amended …
Read article ↗Refunds of Duplicate or Excess Patent Fees
In China, if the annual fee for a patent has been paid more than once, is it possible to apply for a refund?
Read article ↗Revised Anti-Unfair Competition Law Takes Effect on October 15, 2025
The newly revised Anti-Unfair Competition law expands from 33 articles to 41 articles, including General Provisions, Unfair Competition Acts, Investigations of …
Read article ↗The amendments to the Implementing Regulations of the Patent Law and the Patent Examination Guidelines regarding procedural aspects
The revisions to the Implementing Regulations of the Patent Law of China (2023) and the Patent Examination Guidelines (2023) officially came into effect on Janu…
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New Requirements for Trademark Non-Use Cancellation Applications
Article 49 of the Chinese Trademark Law provides that “Where a registered trademark has not been put in use for three consecutive years without a justifiable re…
Read article ↗Patent Examination and Grant Statistics of the IP5 Offices
According to the 2023 IP5 Statistics Report jointly issued by the world's five major intellectual property offices (IP5), a comparison of China's invention patent grant rate and examination time with the other four patent offices reveals that China's patent examination speed ranks second fastest among the IP5, trailing only Japan while surpassing South Korea and Europe.
Read article ↗Chinese Courts Concluded Over 543,000 IP Cases in 2024
The Supreme People's Court released Judicial Protection Status of Intellectual Property Rights by Chinese Courts (2024).
Read article ↗Foreign Evidence of Prior Public Use in Invalidation Proceedings
I would like to file an invalidation request against a certain patent, relying on evidence of prior public use to argue that the patent lacks novelty. However, the evidence of prior public use is not from China, but from the United States and Europe. Would such evidence obtained outside China be disqualified or disregarded by the Chinese examiner?
Read article ↗WIPO: China, Japan, and the United States Lead Innovation in Future Transportation Technologies
WIPO's technology trends report examines innovation in future transportation, including sustainable power, electric vehicles and autonomous transport.
Read article ↗CNIPA Releases 2024 Data on China's Intellectual Property
CNIPA's 2024 data covers patent grants and international applications, examination periods, reexamination and invalidation proceedings.
Read article ↗CNIPA: 2024 China Patent Survey Report
The survey reports on patent infringement experienced by Chinese enterprises and their enforcement responses, including compensation and barriers to pursuing claims.
Read article ↗A Brief Discussion on the Contribution of Performance Parameter Limitation to Product Claims
The article considers when a performance parameter makes a substantial contribution to a product claim, using polymer and resin-particle examples.
Read article ↗A Brief Discussion on the Legal Protection of Unregistered Trademarks in China
The article discusses the protection of unregistered trademarks under China's Trademark Law and Anti-Unfair Competition Law, including prior use and the limits of protection.
Read article ↗How to claim priority in trademark registration applications in China?
This Q&A addresses claiming priority in a Chinese trademark application and submitting the required priority documents.
Read article ↗CNIPA Releases “Measures for the Calculation of Illegal Turnover in Trademark Infringement Cases”
On October 14, 2024, the National Intellectual Property Administration issued the "Measures for the Calculation of Illegal Turnover in Trademark Infringement Ca…
Read article ↗Beijing Intellectual Property Court Releases White Paper on Judicial Trial Work (20142024)
Recently, the Beijing Intellectual Property Court released the "White Paper on the Judicial Work of the Beijing Intellectual Property Court in the Past Ten Year…
Read article ↗The Supreme People's Court released the "Annual Report of the Intellectual Property Court of the Supreme People's Court (2023)"
The annual report pointed out that, in 2023, the Intellectual Property Court of the Supreme People's Court (hereinafter referred to as the "Court") accepted a t…
Read article ↗Patent Term Extension for Pharmaceutical Patents in China
The term of invention patents is twenty years, counted from the date of application. The newly revised Patent Law, specifically in the second and third paragrap…
Read article ↗Points to Consider When Designating Class 35 Services in Chinese Trademark Applications
According to the relevant provisions of the Trademark Law and its Implementing Regulations, when applying for registration of a trademark, the applicant shall f…
Read article ↗Requesting Deferred Patent Examination
I would like to request a deferred examination for a Chinese invention application, hoping to postpone the examination as much as possible. Is there a way to do so? If yes, what is the maximum duration for which the examination can be deferred?
Read article ↗Issues regarding Hong Kong standard patent application and its registration procedure
Hong Kong standard patent is a patent application that is extended and registered in Hong Kong based on a patent application filed in one of Chinese National In…
Special Time Limits for Territorial Extension of Madrid Trademark Registrations to China
The standards of substantive examination on territorial extension request for Madrid trademarks in China are the same as the standards on domestic trademarks in…
Read article ↗Assignment Documents at PCT National Phase Entry
A PCT application is going to enter the Chinese national phase, and the applicants were two Japanese companies A and B when filing the PCT application. However,…
Read article ↗Number of Patent Attorneys in China Reaches 34,000
At present, there are 860,000 intellectual property talents in China.
Read article ↗Examination Period for Invention Patent Applications in China Shortened to 15.7 Months in 2024
CNIPA reported in July 2024 that the examination period for invention patent applications in China had been shortened to 15.7 months. It was expected to fall to 15 months in 2025.
Read article ↗Statistics on PPH cases in 2023
The following is the pendency and the number of office actions for PPH (including PCT-PPH) accepted by CNIPA, USPTO, JPO and KIPO.
Read article ↗Who is winning the AI Race in China?
Sullivan, a consulting institution, issued the White Paper on China AI Technology Transformation of Enterprise Services (2023). The report pointed out that in 2…
Read article ↗CNIPA released China Patent Investigation Report (2023)
Recently, China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released China Patent Investigation Report (2023). The main points are as follows.
Read article ↗WIPO released World Intellectual Property Report (2024)
The World IP Organization (WIPO) has released World Intellectual Property Report (2024) on making innovation policy work for development. The report made analys…
Read article ↗Experimental Data in Chinese Patent Application Documents
Due to the special nature of technology, the patent application for invention in the field of Chemistry often requires experimental data to demonstrate the bene…
Read article ↗Examination of Chinese Trademarks Containing Generic Names
According to the relevant provisions of the Trademark Law of China, if a trademark only contains the generic name of the designated goods or services, it shall …
Read article ↗Obtaining Documents from Chinese Patent Files
Can a third party access the “statement of opinion” for a Chinese application through the Chinese Patent Examination Information Inquiry System (https://cpquery.cponline.cnipa.gov.cn/)?
Read article ↗Key Changes to the Assessment of Inventiveness in China
The recently updated Patent Examination Guidelines in 2023 took effect on January 20, 2024. This article aims to outline the key revisions concerning inventiven…
Read article ↗Patent Term Adjustment for Invention Patents in China
In China, the duration of invention patent right is twenty years, counted from the filing date. The second paragraph of Article 42 of the newly revised Patent L…
Read article ↗Examination of Partial Design Applications in China
In the Examination Guidelines revision of December, 2023, the examination of partial design applications has been introduced. Based on this revision, the differ…
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Changes to Reexamination and Invalidation Procedures in China
The China Patent Examination Guidelines has recently undergone the latest revision and was officially implemented on January 20, 2024. This paper will briefly i…
Read article ↗Service of Trademark Non-Use Notices on Foreign Registrants
In non-use cancellation cases where the registrant of the mark is a foreign entity, to whom will the China Trademark Office send “the Notice of Providing Evidence of Use”?
Read article ↗Highlights of the revision for Implementing Regulations of the Chinese Patent Law
On December 21, 2023, China State Council announced the revised Implementation Regulations of the Chinese Patent Law, which came into effect on January 20, 2024…
Read article ↗IP5 Statistics Report (2022) released
On December 21, 2023, the world's top 5 intellectual property offices (IP5) released the IP5 Statistics Report(2022). This report mainly introduces the patent a…
Read article ↗WIPO: 40% of the global patent applications for AI come from China
On November 8, 2023, Daren Tang, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2023 World Internet Conference, pointed out that at …
Read article ↗Can particle substances be protected in a Chinese utility model?
Can a utility model application be granted for a technical solution that includes particle substance in the utility model claims? This question actually concern…
Read article ↗Combining Patent Term Adjustment and Extension
If a patent qualifies for both patent term adjustment (PTA) and pharmaceutical patent term extension (PTE) under Article 42 of the Chinese Patent Law, must the patentee choose one, or can both periods be added together?
Read article ↗Trademark Use for “Sales Promotion for Others” in Class 35: The “几米阳光 and Device” Cancellation Review
Registration No.:4871143 Approved Services (Class 35): Organization of exhibitions for commercial or advertising purposes; acting as an intermediary for others (purchasing goods or services on behalf of other businesses); sales promotion for others; import-export agency services.
Read article ↗CNIPA releases statistics on patent implementation licensing contracts
China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has released statistical data on patent implementation licenses for the year 2022 and the past five …
Read article ↗China sets clear goals of building an Intellectual Property Powerhouse
The State Council has issued the "Outline of Building an Intellectual Property Powerhouse (2021-2035)" (hereinafter referred to as the "The Outline"). The Outli…
Read article ↗Handling Trademark Matters Directly in China
There are two ways for an applicant to handle trademark issues in China, one is to handle by himself, and the other is to entrust a trademark agency established…
Read article ↗Supplementary Experimental Data for Chemical Patent Applications in China
As we all know, in the patent application documents for inventions or utility models, it is necessary to clearly indicate the technical problems to be solved, t…
Read article ↗2021: Zhejiang Province Opens 379 Patents for Royalty-Free Licensing
In October 2021, Zhejiang Province, China, announced that 379 patents were available for royalty-free licensing. Enterprises could use these patents without paying licens…
Read article ↗Online Trademark Searches by Foreign Applicants
Can foreign applicants search trademark information on the website of China Trademark Office?
Read article ↗China saw over 4.56 million valid invention patents and 44.23 million valid registered trademarks
According to data released by China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) recently, the number of valid invention patents in China exceeded 4.56…
Read article ↗China prosecutes 11,675 suspects involved in IPR crimes in the first half of 2023
In the first half year of 2023, China’s procuratorial organs have prosecuted 11,675 individuals for intellectual property rights (IPR) infringement crimes, an i…
Read article ↗The Scope of Well-Known Trademark Recognition from the Michelin case
[Case No.]
Read article ↗Applicant and Inventor Information Required for Patent Applications in China
・Types of applicant
Brief Analysis of Determination on Identical and Similar Combination Trademarks
Theoretically speaking, a combination trademark refers to a trademark composed of any two or more of the six elements of "words, graphics, letters, numbers, three-dimensi…
China Records Significant Growth in Patent Agencies and Attorneys in 2022
The State Intellectual Property Office of China (CNIPA) released the "National Intellectual Property Agency Industry Development Status (2022)". The report poin…
Read article ↗Trademark Use in Non-Use Cancellation Proceedings
I. Legal provisions on the use of trademarks Article 48 of the Chinese Trademark Law stipulates: "The use of a trademark as referred to in this Law means the ac…
Read article ↗Amending a Patent Application When Requesting Reexamination in China
In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Chinese Patent Law, the amendments to the application document made by the petitioner submitting a request for…
Read article ↗CNIPA Publishes the 2022 Annual Report
In June 2023, the China National Intellectual Property Administration（CNIPA） published its 2022 Annual Report, containing the following important information related to patents.
Read article ↗Statistics on PPH cases accepted by CNIPA in 2022
The following is the pendency and the number of office actions for PPH (including PCT-PPH) accepted by China, the United States, Japan and South Korea.
Read article ↗Online Software Copyright Registration
It is said that in China, software copyright registrations are handled online from June 1, 2023, and the China Copyright Protection Center (CPCC) will no longer accept mailed materials for software copyright registration from June 1. After the software copyright registration becomes paperless, what is the requirement on the applicant's signature? Can electronic seals or electronic signatures be used in uploaded application materials?
Read article ↗Is it necessary to request a foreign filing license before submitting a DAS deposit request?
Digital Access Service for priority documents (Abbr. as DAS hereinafter) is an electronic service established and managed by the International Bureau of the Wor…
Top PCT filers in China
On February 28, 2023, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) released its latest report in Geneva, which stated that in 2022, the number of international patent applications submitted by China through the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) reached 70,015, an increase of 0.6% year-on-year, and continued to rank first in the world.
Read article ↗CNIPA released "Guidelines for Accelerating Examination of Trademark Change, Transfer, Renewal and other Subsequent Applications"
At the end of March 2023, the Trademark Office of the China National Intellectual Property Administration released "Guidelines for Accelerating Examination of Trademark Change, Transfer, Renewal and other Subsequent Applications".
Read article ↗CNIPA Sets 2023 Targets for Shorter Patent and Trademark Examination Times
The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) pointed out the following priorities for 2023.
Read article ↗The Bolar Exception in a Rivaroxaban Patent Infringement Case
This case is one of the 20 typical cases selected by the Intellectual Property Tribunal of the Supreme People's Court from the 3468 technical intellectual property and mo…
Read article ↗Preliminary Approval and Registration Announcements
What is the difference between trademark preliminary approval announcement and registration announcement in China?
Read article ↗Valid invention patents in China rank No. 1 globally
Recently, China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released 2022 statistics on patent and trademark, which mainly involves the following aspe…
Read article ↗CNIPA: Fully Implementing Electronic Patent Certificates
.
Read article ↗FAQs on Procedures for Changing Bibliographic Data of PCT International Applications entering the Chinese National Phase
Patent Cooperation Treaty, abbreviated as PCT, which makes a single patent application filed in only one language at an international receiving office regarded …
CNIPA released “China Patent Investigation Report 2022”
At the end of 2022, CNIPA issued “China Patent Investigation Report 2022” (hereinafter referred to as the report).
Read article ↗Service of Non-Use Notices for Madrid Trademarks
I have a Madrid international registered trademark and obtain the extension protection in China. Now someone has filed a cancellation application against the mark in China based on the ground of non-use for three consecutive years, to whom will the Chinese Trademark Office send the Notification of Submission of Proof of Use?
Read article ↗Significant increase in patent applications under prioritized examination
The “Measures for the Administration of the Prioritized Examination of Patents” enforced by the China National Intellectual Property Administration on August 1,…
Read article ↗Acquired Distinctiveness of Trademarks in China
1. Legal provisions The distinctive features of a trademark, also called “the distinctiveness of a trademark”, refers to the features that a trademark should ha…
Read article ↗World Intellectual Property Indicators 2022: Asia drives growth
The World Intellectual Property Indicators (WIPI) report released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) reveals that innovators around the world filed 3.4 million patent applications in 2021, with a growth of 3.6% compared to 2020.
Read article ↗TOP10 private enterprises for invention patent grants in China of 2021
The Intellectual Property Development & Research Center of the China National Intellectual Property Administration released on its website a report on the number of invention patents granted to Chinese private enterprises (2021).
Read article ↗Deadlines Falling on Holidays or Adjusted Working Days
If the expiration date of a time limit is a statutory holiday or a weekend that is adjusted to be a working day, how should the expiration date be determined?
Read article ↗Average Examination Time for Invention Patents in China Falls to 16.5 Months
China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) published data about China's intellectual property rights for the decade from 2012. Among them, the …
Read article ↗China Introduces Fully Online Applications for Review of Trademark Refusals
To further enhance the electronic level of trademark review and adjudication, and strengthen the effective connection between administration and justice, the Tr…
Read article ↗Benefits of Customs Recordation of Intellectual Property Rights in China
China Customs published the benefits of customs recordation of intellectual property rights in China. Specifically include the following.
Read article ↗Basic requirements for designating goods and services in Chinese trademark registration applications
Ⅰ. Overview of the classification of goods and services
Read article ↗Patent Prosecution Highway Examination Times
How Fast is the Patent Prosecution Highway in China?
Read article ↗New Features of Intellectual Property Protection in China
Recently, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released "China Patent Investigation Report 2021", pointing out four new features of C…
Read article ↗Annual Fee Payment Extension for Patents enjoying China's Patent Fee Reduction Policy
Recently, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) issued an announcement on matters related to the payment of annual patent fees (No. 48…
Read article ↗CNIPA Guiding Case No. 8: Mediation Agreement and Judicial Confirmation of Design Patent Infringement Disputes
Markor International Household Products Co., Ltd. found that a number of products promised to be sold by a company in Shanghai were suspected of infringing mult…
Read article ↗Overview of the Measures for the Registration of the Pledged Patent Rights in China
The means of debt guarantee stipulated by the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China include guarantee, mortgage, pledge, lien and deposits.
Read article ↗Invalidation Deadlines After Trademark Opposition
According to Article 45 of the Chinese Trademark Law, the period for filing a request for invalidation of a registered trademark is five years from the date of registration of the trademark. We would like to know, for the trademark registered after the opposition procedure, how to determine the starting date of the five years (i.e., the date of registration)?
Read article ↗Annual Report of CNIPA (2021): 55.0% Grant rate of invention patents
China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) issued the 2021 annual report in June, 2022. Below are main information and statistical data relatin…
Read article ↗CNIPA Ends Stamp Duty on Patent Registration from June 15, 2022
In order to cooperate with the implementation of the “Stamp Tax Law of the People's Republic of China, the China National Intellectual Property Administration w…
Read article ↗The number of practicing patent attorneys in China in 2021 is 26,000, and is expected to reach 40,000 in 2025
Up to the end of August, 2021, the number of patent agencies in China has reached 3,746. At the end of 2021, the number of practicing patent attorneys in China …
Read article ↗Remedies When Patent Rights Restoration Is Refused
If the CNIPA refuses a request for restoration of patent rights and the party disagrees with that decision, what remedies are available?
Read article ↗Common reasons for refusal of trademarks containing numbers in China
According to Article 8 of the Chinese Trademark Law, any sign that can distinguish the goods of a natural person, legal person or other organizations from those of others…
Read article ↗Over 6.26 million copyright registrations in China in 2021
On March 23, 2022, the National Copyright Administration released the notification on national copyright registrations in 2021. According to statistics, the tot…
Read article ↗Guinness VS. WRCA Trademark Infringement and Unfair Competition Dispute Case
Guinness World Records Limited (hereafter referred as the “Guinness”) was established in November 1954 in the United Kingdom and is a well-known company special…
Read article ↗Arguing Inventiveness Without Amending Claims in China
The inventiveness of the invention is well known, which means that as compared with the prior art, the invention has prominent substantive features and represen…
Read article ↗WIPO Report: China Is the Leading Source of Patent Filings for COVID-19 Vaccines and Therapeutics
In March 2022, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) published its Patent Landscape Report: COVID-19-Related Vaccines and Therapeutics. This was WIPO’s firs…
Read article ↗Correcting Errors in Trademark Documents
If there are obvious errors in the trademark application documents or trademark registration documents, can they be amended?
Read article ↗CNIPA released IP data in 2021
CNIPA released the statistical data of intellectual property related work in 2021. By the end of 2021, the statistics of Chinese patents, trademarks and other i…
Read article ↗CNIPA released the Measures for Rapid Examination of Trademark Applications
China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released the Measures for Rapid Examination of Trademark Applications (hereinafter referred to as “t…
Read article ↗Disclaimer Amendments in Chinese Patent Applications
A "disclaimer amendment," as the name implies, is an amendment that excludes a certain technical feature from a claim and that usually uses a negative technical…
Read article ↗China joins WIPO's Hague System
China has joined the Hague System bringing the total number of countries covered to 94.
Read article ↗Activities of Foreign Patent Agency Representative Offices
Are resident representative offices of foreign patent agencies in China allowed to engage in Chinese patent affairs such as acting for patent applications or invalidating patent rights?
Read article ↗CNIPA to cease issuing paper certificates of trademark registration
The CNIPA announced recently that paper certificates of trademark registration will no longer be issued from 1 January 2022. For trademark applications submitte…
Read article ↗AUX v. Gree: RMB 167 Million Awarded in a First-Instance Patent Infringement Judgment
Recently, two civil judgments of the first instance of Ningbo Intermediate People's Court of Zhejiang Province (hereinafter referred to as Ningbo Intermediate P…
Read article ↗CNIPA’s Strategic Recommendations for Corporate Trademark Protection
On November 23, 2021, the CNIPA issued Guidelines on Trademark Protection and Enforcement in China, which specifically gave strategic suggestions on enterprise …
Read article ↗Overview of the Trademark Examination and Trial Guidelines
Recently, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has adjusted and supplemented the Trademark Examination and Trial Standards (hereinaft…
Read article ↗Patent Term Compensation and Early Resolution of Pharmaceutical Patent Disputes
In order to encourage the research and development of new drugs, in the Chinese Patent Law, implemented from June 1, 2021, a patent term compensation mechanism …
Read article ↗Patent Term Adjustment for Examination Delays
In order to make up for the loss of the patent term caused by the unreasonable delay in the substantive examination of the invention patent, can we request compensation for the patent term?
Read article ↗Common Problems in Preliminary Examination of Utility Model Applications in China
1. What are involved in the preliminary examination?
Read article ↗CNIPA Releases Patent Agency Industry Status Report (2020)
On August 27, 2021, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released a report entitled Development Status of the Patent Agency Industry (2020).
Read article ↗Global Innovation Index 2021: China Edges Closer to Top 10
On September 20, 2021, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) released Global Innovation Index 2021 (hereinafter referred to as “the GII”).
Read article ↗Claiming Priority from a US Provisional Application
I want to know if a US provisional application could be used as a priority for a Chinese patent application?
Read article ↗Can Advertising Slogans Be Registered as Trademarks?
Under China’s Trademark Law, any sign capable of distinguishing the goods of one natural person, legal person or other organization from those of others may be registered…
Read article ↗CNIPA publishes IP statistics for the first half of 2021
CNIPA recently published the statistical data of patents and trademarks in the first half of 2021.
Read article ↗Statistical Annual Report of International Trademark Registration in 2021
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) released the Statistical Annual Report of International Trademark Registration in 2021. In 2020, due to the …
Read article ↗Requirements of Application Documents and Relevant Examination Regulations on Partial Design
The partial design system was introduced in the 4th Amendment of Patent Law of the People's Republic of China implemented on June 1, 2021. The specific provisio…
Read article ↗Assignment and Transfer of Registered Trademarks in China
Ⅰ. Legal Basis and Application Conditions According to Article 42 of China's Trademark Law and Articles 31 and 32 of the Regulations for the Implementation of t…
Read article ↗Time Limits for Further Divisional Applications
An examiner has identified a lack of unity in a divisional application. When must the applicant file a further divisional application in response to the examiner’s opinion?
Read article ↗Major Players in Global 6G Communication Technology
On April 25, 2021, the Intellectual Property Development Research Center of the State Intellectual Property Office of China released the Report on the Patent De…
Read article ↗CNIPA Continues to Shorten Trademark and Patent Examination Times
CNIPA pointed out on May 10, 2021 that it will continue to compress the examination cycles of trademarks and patents, as follows.
Read article ↗A Closer Look at Recording Contracts of Patent Licensing in China
Under Article 12 of the Chinese Patent Law “any entity or individual exploiting the patent of another shall conclude with the patentee a license contract for ex…
Read article ↗CNIPA Publishes the 2020 Annual Report
In April 2021, the China National Intellectual Property Administration（CNIPA） published its 2020 Annual Report, containing the following important information related to patents and trademarks. ● Patent 1.497 million invention patent applications were filed in 2020, up 6.9% year-on-year.
Read article ↗Patent Annuity Periods and Payment Queries
How are patent years calculated for annual fee payments in China? Can payment information be checked on the CNIPA website?
Read article ↗Chinese Appeal Cases of Software Copyright in 2020
In the recently issued Annual Report of the Intellectual Property Court of the Supreme Court (2020), computer software appeal cases heard by the Intellectual Pr…
Read article ↗Highlights on Chinese judicial interpretations of punitive damages for IPR infringements
The Interpretation of the Supreme Court on the Application of Punitive Damages to the Trial of Civil Cases of Infringement of Intellectual Property Rights (here…
Read article ↗Trademark Applications Filed on the Same Day in China
1. What is “the same-day applications”?
Read article ↗Who are the main PCT filers in China?
On March 2, 2021, WIPO released the data of the international filings for patents, trademarks and industrial designs in 2020.
Read article ↗Trademark Examination and Review Standards
Do the Trademark Office’s Examination Department and Review Department apply different standards when assessing trademark applications?
Read article ↗China Shortens Examination Times for Invention Patents and Trademarks in 2020
The average pendency time for Chinese invention patent applications was about 22.2 months in 2019, and was reduced to 20 months in 2020. The average pendency ti…
Read article ↗The revision of the Guideline for Patent Examination on Supplementary Experiment Data Submission
The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) revised the Guideline for Patent Examination, which mainly focused on the revision in the field …
Read article ↗Wyeth Wins 30.55 Million RMB in Chinese Trademark Infringement Case
Over its eponymous trademark, American company Wyeth LLC had been entangling in an IPR battle with Guangzhou Wyeth Baby Products Co., Ltd. (Guangzhou Wyeth) for…
Read article ↗Key Changes to Design Patent Applications in China
1. Modification of the requirements for design application filing documents Regarding the improper generic and abstract name of product for design, it is clearl…
Read article ↗Calculating the Non-Use Period for International Trademarks
How to determine the three-year period for a cancellation request against a registered international trademark on the ground of non-use for three consecutive ye…
Read article ↗The amended Copyright Law will become effective on June 1, 2021 in China
On November 11, 2020, China’s National People’s Congress approved amendments to the Copyright Law. The amendments will become effective on June 1, 2021. The ame…
Read article ↗Statistics on PPH requests in China
According to the statistics of Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) provided by CNIPA, by the end of December 2019, CNIPA has received 37,265 PPH requests, includin…
Read article ↗Amendments to substantive examination of the Guidelines for Patent Examination
The amendments to the contents about substantive examination of invention patent application of the Guidelines for Patent Examination focus on the following thr…
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Scope of Provisional Patent Protection
If the protection scope claimed by the applicant at the time of publication of the invention patent application is inconsistent with the protection scope of the…
Read article ↗Who is the main player of AI in China?
On November 13, 2020, China Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team(CICS-CERT) released "Analysis Report on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology for Chinese Patent Applications (2020)"(hereinafter referred to as the Report), showing the new trend of innovation and development in the field of AI in China. ● China's Patent Applications in AI The number of Chinese patent applications in the field of AI is on the rise year by year.
Read article ↗Investigation report of Beijing IP Court on damages compensation in patent infringement cases
The judicial remedy value is an important reflection of the market value of patent rights and an important embodiment of the judicial protection of intellectual…
Read article ↗Supreme Court issues judicial interpretation on Cases Involving Granting and Confirmation of Patent Rights
On 11 September 2020, the Supreme Court issued the "Provisions on Several Issues concerning the Application of Law in the Trial of Administrative Cases Concerni…
Read article ↗The Original Grant Patent System for Standard Patents in Hong Kong's New Patent System
Hong Kong's new patent system came into effect on December 19, 2019. Prior to this, patents in Hong Kong were divided into two categories: standard patents and …
Read article ↗Amendments to Chinese Patent Law from 1 June 2021
The fourth amendment to the Chinese Patent Law was passed on October 17, 2020 and will be in effect on 1 June 2021.
Read article ↗Foreign Nationals and China’s Patent Attorney Examination
Are foreigners allowed to take the Chinese patent bar exam?
Read article ↗Significant Growth of Chinese Patent and Trademark Applications in the First Half of 2020
In the first half of 2020, 2.195 million patent applications for invention, utility model and design in China were filed with CNIPA, with a year-on-year increas…
Read article ↗CNIPA issued Judging Criteria for Trademark Infringements
In June 2020, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (“CNIPA”) issued the Judging Criteria for Trademark Infringement (“Criteria”). There are 3…
Read article ↗China: Draft Amendments to Patent Law Released for Comment
Draft Amendments to the Chinese Patent Law were released for public comment on July 2020. Major aims of the proposed revision are strengthening patent protectio…
Read article ↗Updating a Foreign Trademark Owner’s Name and Address in China
Trademark Office?
Read article ↗WIPO: China Becomes Top Filer of PCT International Applications in 2019
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) released the results of the international applications of patents, trademarks and industrial designs in 2019…
Read article ↗Annual Report of the Intellectual Property Court of the Supreme People's Court (2019)
On January 1st, 2019, the Intellectual Property Court of the Supreme People's Court (hereinafter referred to as the "IP Court") was officially unveiled and beca…
Read article ↗Amendments to the Patent Examination Guidelines for Inventions Involving Embryonic Stem Cells
1. Background of the Amendments According to some relevant explanations of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) and our understanding…
Read article ↗CNIPA: Matters Concerning the Time Limits for Trademark Business Handling Due to the COVID-19 Epidemic
On February 6, CNIPA published the Answers to Matters Concerning the Time Limits for Trademark Business Handling Due to the COVID-19 Epidemic (hereinafter referred to as …
Read article ↗Michael Jordan Prevails in Eight-Year Trademark Battle at China’s Supreme People’s Court
In a long-running dispute with Qiaodan Sports Co., Ltd., Michael Jordan recently prevailed at China’s Supreme People’s Court in revoking a trademark for “Qiaodan and Devi…
Read article ↗Amendments in Multi-Class Trademark Applications
A trademark application covers three classes, but the Trademark Office requires an amendment to the identification of goods in only one class. If the amendment is not filed or is not accepted, will the other two classes be affected?
Read article ↗U.S. Patent Grants to Chinese Companies Record the Fastest Growth in 2019
A report showed that the total number of U.S. grant patents for Chinese mainland companies increased by 34 percent in 2019, the strongest growth among major eco…
Read article ↗Obtaining Paper Patent Certificates
I heard China Patent Office would cease issuing Paper Patent Certificates. If we want the Paper Patent Certificates, how to get it?
Read article ↗Statistics of Intellectual Property Data in 2019: Invention Grant Rate 44.3%, Utility Model Grant Rate 79.9%
In 2019, the number of patent applications for invention in China was 1.401 million, a year-on-year decrease of 9.1%; the number of granted invention patents was 453,000, a year-on-year increase of 4.8%.
Read article ↗Restoration Procedures Related to Novel Coronavirus
In response to the pneumonia epidemic infections caused by the novel coronavirus, the CNIPA issued Announcement No.350 with regard to the relevant time limits for handlin…
Read article ↗Protecting Trade Secrets: A Cross-Border Case
Our client, a European Company A, is facing a problem. An employee B prior to resigning from Company A and in breach of his employment contract, takes confidential inform…
Read article ↗Chinese Invention Patent Grants to Foreign Applicants Rose 31.1% in the First Three Quarters of 2015
China’s patent application and grant statistics for the first three quarters of 2015 showed three main features.
Read article ↗Chanel’s Trademark Infringement Case Against Wen Daxiang and a Guangzhou Hotel
Chanel, incorporated in France on August 27, 1954, owns figurative trademarks and the CHANEL word mark for goods in Class 25, including clothing, shoes, hats, scarves and swimwear.
Read article ↗Paying Several Years of Chinese Patent Annuities
Must Chinese patent annuities be paid one year at a time, or can several years—for example, five—be paid together?
Read article ↗Must a Chinese Trademark Be Cancelled After Three Years of Non-Use?
Under Article 49 of China’s Trademark Law, any entity or individual may apply to the Trademark Office to cancel a registered trademark that has not been used for three consecutive years without a justified reason.
Read article ↗How Many Practising Patent Agents Were There in China in 2014?
By the end of 2014, China had 10,459 practising patent agents.
Read article ↗SIPO Publishes Statistics on Patent Prosecution Highway Applications
The State Intellectual Property Office of China (SIPO) published statistics on the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) covering November 1, 2011, when it began accepting foreign PPH requests, through December 31, 2014.
Read article ↗IP Rights Quick Protection Centres Receive 6,500 Design Applications
Since China launched its intellectual property quick protection programme at the end of 2012, six centres had been established in Zhongshan, Dongguan and Shunde in Guangdong; Chaoyang District in Beijing; Nantong in Jiangsu; and Hangzhou in Zhejiang.
Read article ↗Trademark Application Fee Reduced from RMB 800 to RMB 600 in October 2015
From October 15, 2015, the Chinese Trademark Office reduced the trademark registration application fee from RMB 800 to RMB 600 for one class covering up to ten designated items of goods or services.
Read article ↗Service Inventions in China: Rewards and Remuneration
Under Article 6 of the Patent Law of the People’s Republic of China, an invention-creation made in the course of performing an entity’s tasks, or mainly by using that entity’s material and technical resources, is a service invention-creation. “Invention-creation” includes inventions, utility models and designs.
Read article ↗Changing a Product Claim to a Manufacturing-Process Claim
During substantive examination in China, an examiner finds that claim 1, directed to a product, lacks an inventive step. May the applicant amend it to claim a process for manufacturing that product in order to overcome the objection?
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