On August 14, 2020, the Ministry of Justice of the People’s Republic of China issued the Guiding Opinions on Strengthening the Protection of Commercial Secrets and Confidential Business Information in the Process of Administrative Licensing (Draft for Solicitation of Comments) (关于强化行政许可过程中商业秘密和保密商务信息保护的指导意见（征求意见稿）). The draft opinions acknowledge “that in the process of implementing administrative licensing in some localities and departments, there are problems such as incomplete confidentiality systems, inadequate implementation of management systems, and imperfect accountability mechanisms, which are not conducive to …
Category: Trade Secrets
China’s Supreme People’s Court Releases Draft Opinions on Increasing Sanctions for Intellectual Property Infringement
The Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China released the “Opinions on Increasing Sanctions for Intellectual Property Infringement (Draft for Comment)” “关于加大知识产权侵权行为制裁力度的意见（征求意见稿）” in mid-June for comment. The draft opinions confirm the primacy of permanent injunctions and potentially increases the amount of monetary damages typically awarded. The opinions also cover strengthening evidence preservation and increasing criminal enforcement of the intellectual property laws.
China’s Draft Amendments to Criminal Law Include U.S. Economic Espionage Act Provision
Updated July 14, 2020 to reflect Mark Cohen’s thoughts. China’s National People’s Congress has released the Criminal Law Amendment (Eleven) (Draft) for comments. Perhaps because of the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) increased enforcement of the Economic Espionage Act (EEA) targeting China as a beneficiary, the Chinese draft adds a separate provision for foreign-related trade secret theft. Specifically, Article 219 will have a new paragraph, “For stealing, spying, buying, or illegally providing trade secrets to foreign institutions, organizations, and personnel, …
Defendant in China Wind Turbine Trade Secret Theft Case Sentenced to 3-Year Prison Term
As reported by the Guangdong Higher People’s Court, the People’s Court of Huilai County of Jieyang City sentenced defendant Liu Zhongyan to three years’ imprisonment and 1 million RMB fine for criminal trade secret theft on June 29, 2020. Liu had stolen trade secrets relating to Mingyang Smart Energy Group Co., Ltd.’s first 7.25MW offshore wind turbine.