On June 26, 2026, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress adopted a comprehensive revision of the Chinese Trademark Law. The revised law takes effect on January 1, 2027 and introduces a range of substantive and procedural changes that will affect trademark owners, licensees, and practitioners operating in China. This article addresses ten changes of particular note.
CNIPA Conducting Rectification Campaign on Chinese-Origin “Irregular” Foreign Patent Applications?
As first reported by IPRlearn, the Research Office of Shihezi University in Xinjiang, China, posted a June 18, 2026 Notice on Prudently Regulating Overseas Patent Filings and Ceasing Patent Applications in Countries Without Substantive Examination Systems (关于审慎规范海外专利布局、停止在无实质审查制度国家申请专利的通知). In the Notice, the University stated “the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) is conducting a special inspection and rectification campaign targeting overseas patent applications in countries without a substantive patent examination system. Organizations that illegally and excessively deploy such low-stability patents will be …
China’s National Intellectual Property Administration Warns of 14,460 Companies Misrepresenting Themselves as Intellectual Property or Patent Agencies
On June 15, 2026, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) warned in a Public Notice Regarding “Intellectual Property Agency” and “Patent Agency” Enterprises That Have Not Obtained a Patent Agency Practice License (关于对未取得专利代理机构执业许可证的“知识产权代理”“专利代理”企业的公示) that there were over 14 thousand companies with names that include patent agency or intellectual property agency in their names despite not having a patent agency license. CNIPA has been continuously cracking down on fraud and other issues in the patent agency industry and announced in 2025 …
China’s Supreme People’s Court Releases 2026 Typical Cases of Technical Fact-Finding in Plant Variety Cases
On June 9, 2026, China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) released the Typical Cases of Technical Fact-Finding in Plant Variety Cases (植物新品种案件技术事实查明典型案例) (the “Typical Cases”) alongside the Guidelines for Ascertaining Technical Facts in Cases Involving New Plant Varieties. In the Chinese judicial system, typical cases (典型案例) are cases selected and published by the Supreme People’s Court or other courts to illustrate the application of legal standards to particular fact patterns; while they do not carry the binding precedential force of common …