Note: This translation will be replaced or updated once the National People’s Congress or the China National Intellectual Property Administration releases a translation. On June 26, 2026, the 23rd Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Fourteenth National People’s Congress on June 26, 2026 amended the Chinese Trademark Law. The Amended Law goes into effect on January 1, 2027. A review of some of the changes is available here. A translation follows.
Category: New Law, Rule or Implementing Regulation
China’s Trademark Law Overhauled: Key Changes Taking Effect January 1, 2027
On June 26, 2026, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress adopted a comprehensive revision of the Chinese Trademark Law. The revised law takes effect on January 1, 2027 and introduces a range of substantive and procedural changes that will affect trademark owners, licensees, and practitioners operating in China. This article addresses ten changes of particular note.
CNIPA Conducting Rectification Campaign on Chinese-Origin “Irregular” Foreign Patent Applications?
As first reported by IPRlearn, the Research Office of Shihezi University in Xinjiang, China, posted a June 18, 2026 Notice on Prudently Regulating Overseas Patent Filings and Ceasing Patent Applications in Countries Without Substantive Examination Systems (关于审慎规范海外专利布局、停止在无实质审查制度国家申请专利的通知). In the Notice, the University stated “the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) is conducting a special inspection and rectification campaign targeting overseas patent applications in countries without a substantive patent examination system. Organizations that illegally and excessively deploy such low-stability patents will be …
China’s Supreme People’s Court Issues Guidelines for Ascertaining Technical Facts in Cases Involving New Plant Varieties
On June 9, 2026, China’s Supreme People’s Court issued the Guidelines for Ascertaining Technical Facts in Cases Involving New Plant Varieties (人民法院审理植物新品种案件技术事实查明工作指引) (the “Guidelines”). The Guidelines represent the first dedicated instrument governing the ascertainment of technical facts in plant variety rights litigation in China, and were promulgated pursuant to the Civil Procedure Law of the People’s Republic of China, the Seed Law of the People’s Republic of China, and the Regulations on the Protection of New Plant Varieties, among other …