On June 10, 2025, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced the 7 Typical Cases of Trademark Administrative Enforcement for 2024 (市场监管总局公布7件商标行政执法典型案例). Administrative enforcement provides an alternative route to IP litigation and criminal prosecution but does not provide damages. Note that administrative enforcement is not mutually exclusive to litigation and criminal prosecution – all three mechanisms may be used and administrative enforcement cases are regularly referred for criminal prosecution. Regarding the cases, SAMR explained that “in 2024, local market …
Category: Trademarks
Beijing IP Court Releases 2024 Annual Cases
On April 30, 2025, the Beijing IP Court (BIPC) released their list of 2024 annual cases including 7 IP-related cases and 1 antitrust case. The Court explained that the cases “cover the four major intellectual property trial areas of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and competition and monopoly, involving innovative achievements in emerging industries in key areas such as medicine, communications, seed industry, platform economy and data. These cases reflect five major characteristics: increasing efforts to protect industrial innovation in key areas, …
CNIPA Permanently Suspends Three Chinese Trademark Firms for Bribery
On May 22, 2025, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released three administrative penalty decisions permanently suspending three trademarks firms from accepting trademark work. Per Tianyancha (geoblocked) and a court decision, one firm in particular was found to have bribed a CNIPA trademark examiner from 2013 to 2021 totaling 1.29 million RMB. The firm was criminally convicted and fined 100,000 RMB and the illegal gains of 1,382,680 RMB were seized.
China’s State Administration for Market Regulation Releases Top 10 Typical Cases of Intellectual Property Law Enforcement for 2024
On April 29, 2025, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) released the Top 10 Typical Cases of Intellectual Property Law Administrative Enforcement for 2024 (2024年知识产权执法十大典型案件). Administrative enforcement is an additional route to enforce intellectual property rights and is often faster than civil litigation. While fines and seizure are available, damages are not. It is also possible that SAMR will refer cases to the procuratorate for criminal prosecution.