In the Economic and Trade Agreement Between the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China, Phase 1, dated January 15, 2020 China has made several major commitments to improve Intellectual Property protection. Chapter 1, which comprises 16 pages of the 94-page document, specifies improvements in trade secret protection; strengthening pharmaceutical-related Intellectual Property; granting patent term adjustments and extensions; preventing piracy and counterfeiting on e-commerce platforms; increasing transparency in geographical indications protection; preventing manufacture and export of counterfeit …
Category: New Law, Rule or Implementing Regulation
China’s Amended TM Law Has Potential To Reduce Squatting
On November 1, 2019 China’s amended trademark law came into force. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress has amended six articles of the trademark law focusing on reducing trademark squatting and increasing damages for infringement.
CNIPA Announces Amended Patent Guidelines for Patent Applications Covering AI and Blockchain
The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has announced amended Patent Examination Guidelines effective February 1, 2020. The amended guidelines add a Section 6 to Chapter IX of Part Two of the Patent Examination Guidelines, which covers provisions for the examination of invention patent applications that claim mathematical limitations and business methods. The amendments are made for the special nature of examination of patent applications related to artificial intelligence, “Internet +”, big data, and blockchain.
CNIPA Announces Administrative Measures for Collective Patent Examination
The Chinese National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) recently issued Administrative Measures of Collective Patent Examination (pilot) (专利申请集中审查管理办法（试行). The new measures allow for the collective examination of patent applications related to the same technology by the same applicant, thereby potentially expediting examination of groups of patent application and improving consistency of examination of the group applications.