As announced on October 12, 2021, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) will cease issuing paper trademark certificates from January 1, 2022. Registrants can instead download an electronic version. From October 15, 2021 to December 31, 2021, CNIPA will issue both paper and electronic registration certificates during this transitional period. This follows last year’s announcement that CNIPA would cease issuing paper patent certificates.
Guest Post: Protection of Chinese Equivalents of Foreign Trademarks
This is a guest post by Yan Zhang and Austin Chang of Beijing EastIP. When an overseas brand enters the Chinese market, selecting a Chinese equivalent of the overseas brand is crucial because native Chinese pronounce and remember the Chinese language version much easier than any foreign language version. This is precisely why nearly all famous international brands have and use Chinese equivalent names in China. Literal translation is one of the ways in selecting a Chinese equivalent. For example, …
Shanghai, China’s Municipal People’s Congress Proposes Fining Irregular Patent Application Applicants Up To 150,000 RMB
On September 30, 2021, the Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress issued the draft Several Provisions on the Establishment of a High-level Intellectual Property Protection System in Pudong New Area, Shanghai (上海市浦东新区建立高水平知识产权保护制度若干规定（草案征求意见稿）). Article 6 of the Provisions proposes to increase punishment for irregular (or abnormal) patent applications and malicious trademark applications to up 150,000 RMB ($23,280 USD) and 50,000 RMB respectively. The Provisions also provide for IP protections at exhibitions, specify increased punitive damages for intentional infringement as well as fines for …
World Intellectual Property Organization Releases Global Innovation Index 2021 – China Edges Closer to Top 10
On September 20, 2021, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) released the Global Innovation Index 2021. Switzerland, Sweden, U.S., and U.K. continue to lead the innovation ranking, and have all ranked in the top 5 in the past three years. The Republic of Korea joins the top 5 of the GII for the first time in 2021, while four other Asian economies feature in the top 15: Singapore (8), China (12), Japan (13) and Hong Kong, China (14). China moved …