The first international intellectual property treaty concluded in China and named after one of China’s cities since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the “Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances” (“Beijing Treaty”) came into effect today, April 28, 2020. Per the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), “the Treaty is designed to help audiovisual performers – television and film actors, musicians, dancers, and others – many of whom live from job to job in precarious economic circumstances. The Treaty expands …
Category: Copyright
China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate Issues Top Example Cases of Criminal Intellectual Property Rights Infringement in 2019
On April 25, 2020, China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate issued a list of the top example cases in 2019 of criminal IP rights infringement. The cases cover trademark, copyright and trade secret theft. Verdicts included both imprisonment and fines. While the punishments were severe for trademark and copyright cases, only 2 of the 18 cases are for trade secret theft and defendants received minimal or no jail time, perhaps indicating room for improvement on trade secret protection in China.
China’s Supreme People’s Court Releases Top 10 Intellectual Property Cases for 2019
On April 21, 2020, China’s Supreme People’s Court released a list of the top 10 intellectual property law cases of 2019. The cases cover patent (invention and design), trademark, copyright, unfair competition and criminal trademark law. Cases in the list were adjudicated by Courts spread over China and at different appeal levels.
China’s Copyright Office Releases 2019 Data
The National Copyright Administration of the People’s Republic of China released 2019 filing data showing an almost 21% increase in works registered for copyright year on year. The total number of national copyright registrations in 2019 reached 4,186,549, compared with 3,457,338 in 2018, a year-on-year increase of 21.09%. This compares with a 9% drop in patent filings in 2019.