On February 17, 2022 the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) released the findings of its 2021 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy (the Notorious Markets List). The Notorious Markets List highlights online and physical markets that reportedly engage in or facilitate substantial trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy. There is no penalty for being listed but the list has been used to encourage foreign companies and countries to crack down on piracy and counterfeiting. Of the 42 …
Category: Copyright
China Joins the Hague System for Designs
On February 5, 2022, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) announced that China joined the Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs effective May 5, 2022. The Government of China deposited its instrument of accession to the 1999 Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement on February 5, 2022. China is the 68th contracting party to the 1999 Act and 77th member of the Hague Union. The Hague System eliminates the need to file separate and multiple applications in individual countries …
Non-Prosecution Agreement Announced in Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Chinese Criminal Copyright Case
On December 13, 2021, the Shanghai Third Branch of the Procuratorate (上海检察三分院) announced a non-prosecution agreement with a Li XX for uploading Underwriters Laboratories (UL) documents, including standards, to a file sharing site and charging others to download the documents, thereby earning about 14,000 RMB (~$2,200 USD).
Guangdong Higher People’s Court Rules for Tencent in China’s First Game Map Copyright Case
On December 6, 2021, the Guangdong Higher People’s Court publicly announced a ruling in favor of Shenzhen Tencent Computer System Co., Ltd. (深圳市腾讯计算机系统有限公司) in a dispute over copyright infringement and unfair competition relating to maps used in first person shooter games. The Court ordered the defendants Changyou Yunduan (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. (与畅游云端（北京）科技有限公司) and Hero Entertainment Co., Ltd. (英雄互娱科技股份有限公司) to cease infringement and compensate Tencent for economic losses of 25 million RMB. This is believed to be the first time …