On March 26, 2020, the Shaoxing Market Supervision Bureau of Zhejiang Province fined a Chinese intellectual property firm, a trademark applicant and a trademark agent responsible for attempting to register a trademark for “Li Wenliang” (李文亮), a famous doctor that later succumbed to COVID-19 after earlier attempts to warn others of a possible new outbreak. Specifically, the Bureau fined applicant Yang Mofang, the agency Shaoxing Intellectual Property Agency Co., Ltd. and the trademark agent Chen Mougang 2,000 RMB, 20,000 RMB …
Category: Trademarks
China National Intellectual Property Administration Confirms Coronavirus Missed Deadline Policies Apply to non-Chinese Applicants
On March 27, 2020, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) confirmed that earlier-announced policies for missed deadlines also apply to foreign entities. Per Announcement 350, patentees and applicants can restore their patent rights without payment of a restoration right request fee if lost rights were due to the coronavirus.
Chinese Intellectual Property Agency Punished for Malicious Epidemic-Related Trademark Filings
The Chaoyang District Market Supervision Bureau (in Beijing) has fined Beijing Yijie Shunda International Intellectual Property Agency Co., Ltd. 100,000 RMB (about $14,000 USD) for the malicious filing of trademarks related to the coronavirus epidemic. The agency applied on behalf of two clients for trademarks for 火神山 (literally, Vulcan Mountain) and 雷神山 (literally, Thor Mountain), the names of two front line hospitals in Wuhan treating patients infected with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 disease.
Chinese Trademark Office Announces Rejections of Malicious Epidemic-Related Trademark Applications
In follow up to the notice of February 27, 2020 cracking down on malicious epidemic-related trademark applications, the Chinese Trademark Office has announced the rejection of 63 malicious trademarks for the names of Wuhan hospitals and other epidemic-related marks and 37 malicious trademarks for “Li Wenliang,” one of the Wuhan doctors that initially warned of the virus and later succumbed to it.