On January 13, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) circulated a draft amendment to the PRC Trademark Law for public comment (“TML Draft Amendment”). The TML Draft Amendment is the product of deliberations that officially commenced in 2018. This deliberation process resulted in the 2019 stop-gap revisions to the Trademark Law that were primarily focused
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The Regents of the University of California v. the CNIPA, No. 5353 [2019], Trial, Administrative Division, Beijing Intellectual Property Court
On December 29, 2021, the Beijing Intellectual Property Court (the Court) maintained the validity of CN Invention Patent No. ZL200680025545.1 (the ’545 patent), which reversed an invalidation decision[1] made by the Patent Reexamination and Invalidation Department of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA). The Court held that the claimed invention is inventive because…
A Request for Grace Period for a Novelty Art Should Be Submitted Within Two Months When the Patentee Knew or Should Have Known About the Novelty Art After the Patent Application Was Filed
The Patent Reexamination and Invalidation Department (PRID) of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) invalidated the CN Invention Patent No. 201310567987.0 (the ’987 patent)[1] because the patentee failed to submit a request for grace period for a novelty art (“the Request”) within two months after the patentee knew or should have known about…
“Reasonable Expectation Of Success” Considered in an Invalidation Proceeding of a Chinese Invention Patent
The Patent Reexamination and Invalidation Department (PRID) of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) maintained the validity of CN Invention Patent No. ZL02123000.5 (the ’000 patent) in an invalidation proceeding.[1] The PRID held that the claimed invention is inventive because: (1) one person of ordinary skill in the art would not have been motivated…
China Joins the Hague International Design System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs
On February 05, 2022, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) announced that China had joined the Hague International Design System (the Hague System) that allows registering up to 100 designs in 94 countries through one international application.[1]…
Differences Noticeable to “General Consumers” May Be Considered “Significant Differences” Which Render the Design Patentable Over Prior Designs
The Patent Reexamination and Invalidation Department (PRID) of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) maintained the validity of Chinese design patent No. ZL201730205645.3 (the ’645 patent) in an invalidation proceeding.[1] The PRID held that the patented designs are patentable because the more squared-off design of the ’645 patent is significantly different compared to…
Updates on Patent Linkage Registration Platform in the PRC
The Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) issued a notice that the patent information registration platform of drugs approved in the PRC will be put into official operation soon.[1] The CDE attached a user manual to specify (1) that the indications…
Three Changes to Pharmaceutical Patents in the PRC
This article addresses three important changes to pharmaceutical patents in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in view of the newly amended PRC Patent Law (the Law), which will take effect on June 1, 2021, and the recent amendments to the Patent Examination Guidelines (the 2021 Guidelines) that took effect on January 15, 2021. These…
Interim Measures for Implementation of the Amended Patent Law in the PRC
On May 25, 2021, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) issued the interim measures for processing of related examination businesses regarding the implementation of the amended patent law (the Measures).[1] Both the Measures and the amended patent law (the Law) will take effect on June 1, 2021.…
Patent Linkage Registration Platform Launched in China for Public Testing
The Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) launched a patent information registration platform for public testing of drugs approved in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).[1] The CDE further specified 1) patents eligible for the registration; 2) the deadline for generic applicants to submit a patent declaration; and…