On February 6, 2026, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released three decisions revoking the operating licenses for three Chinese patent firms for fabricating partners. Per CNIPA, the actual controllers of the firms involved, in order to obtain a patent agency license, agreed with patent agents to act as nominal partners, paying them “license-hanging fees.” The agents merely registered their patent agent qualifications with the firms involved, without practicing full-time or participating in the firm’s daily operations. The patent applications …
Category: Case
CNIPA Revokes Four Chinese Patent Firms’ Licenses for Fabricating Applicants Using Stolen Personal Data
On January 4, 2026, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) announced it had revoked 4 Chinese patent firms’ licenses for filing ‘irregular’ patent applications using fabricated patent applicants based on stolen personal data. The firms in question had purchased stolen personal data from a Xu XX, who had been sentenced to 3.5 years in prison in May 2025. Xu XX illegally purchased personal information of enterprises and citizens, and used this information to register accounts in the CNIPA’s patent business …
China’s Supreme People’s Court Releases Typical Cases on Combating Malicious Intellectual Property Litigation
On November 18, 2025, China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) released five Typical Cases on Combating Malicious Intellectual Property Litigation (最高人民法院发布治理知识产权恶意诉讼典型案例). While not precedential as in common law systems, typical cases are used to guide lower courts and promote consistent legal application across China. The previously-issued “Opinions of the Supreme People’s Court on Serving and Safeguarding Technological Innovation through High-Quality Adjudication” pointed out that “illegal acts that hinder innovation, such as false litigation, malicious litigation, and abuse of litigation rights, should …
4.5-Year Prison Sentence for Chinese E-Commerce Platform Operator Hosting Merchants Selling Counterfeit Goods
On October 13, 2025, the Shanghai Putuo Primary People’s Court announced a criminal verdict against Xiao XX Yu Company and 5 people for operating e-commerce platform Xiao XX Yu that knowingly sold goods with counterfeit registered trademarks having a sales volume of 10.8 million RMB. The company was fined 3 million RMB and the company management were sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment ranging from 1 year, 11 months to 4 years, 6 months and were also fined.