In recent decision (2025) 沪0101 民初14775 号, the Shanghai Huangpu District People’s Court held that prompts fed into a generative AI were not subject to copyright protection. In 2022, the plaintiff created six sets of English-language prompts and input them into the Midjourney AI image generation platform using the account “BYShanC.” The prompts directed Midjourney to generate Art Nouveau-style illustrations of fantasy natural subjects — jellyfish, butterflies, gem trees, mushrooms, koi fish — in the style of Alphonse Mucha, rendered …
China’s ‘Two Sessions’ – IP Excerpts from China’s Work Report
On March 5, 2026, Premier Li Qiang delivered the Government Work Report to the Fourth Session of the 14th National People’s Congress (part of the ‘Two Sessions’), reviewing 2025 and outlining the policy direction for China in 2026. China has made excerpts from the Work Report available online (李强作的政府工作报告（摘登)), which included several references to intellectual property. The Report noted that total R&D expenditure continued growing at an average annual rate of 10%, the number of high-value invention patents per 10,000 …
CNIPA Releases Report on the Progress of Building a Rule-of-Law Government by 2025 – 8,755 Patent Agents Disbarred
On March 3, 2026, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released the Report of the CNIPA on the Progress of Building a Rule-of-Law Government by 2025 (国家知识产权局关于2025年法治政府建设情况的报告). Some highlights from the Report include: CNIPA imposed administrative penalties on 256 agencies and practitioners for serious violations in 2025; CNIPA revoked the licenses of 180 patent agencies in 2025; CNIPA cancelled the practice registration of 8,755 patent agents in 2025; and As of the end of December 2025, a total of 275 …
CNIPA Releases the 2026 Legislative Workplan
On March 3, 2026, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released the 2026 Legislative Work Plan of the CNIPA (国家知识产权局2026年立法工作计划). In 2026, CNIPA will concentrate on amending the trademark law, a draft of which was released in December 2025; the regulations for the protection of integrated circuit layout designs, a draft of which was issued in December 2024; the administrative regulations for patent priority examination, a draft of which was released in February 2026; and other legislative projects.