In follow up to the “Measures Regarding the Regulation of Patent Applications” (关于规范申请专利行为的办法), China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released the “Guidelines for the Determination of Abnormal Patent Applications and the Handling of Matters after the Determination” (非正常申请专利行为认定及认定后的办事指南) on May 26, 2023. The Guidelines provided detailed information on determining abnormal patent application behavior from various perspectives as well as the procedures for handling an abnormal patent application after identification.
China Releases Report on National Intellectual Property Agency Industry Development Status (2022)
On May 11, 2023, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration released the Report on National Intellectual Property Agency Industry Development Status (2022) (全国知识产权代理行业发展状况（2022年)). In 2022, 645 new patent agencies were established in China, and 5 foreign patent agencies were approved to establish resident representative offices. By the end of 2022, there were 4,520 patent agencies (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan), 63,311 patent attorneys, 31,347 practicing patent attorneys, and 4,405 litigation representatives. The number of applicants for the 2022 patent attorney …
China’s National Intellectual Property Administration Revokes Licenses of 5 Patent Firms for Filing Over 30,000 Abnormal Patent Applications
On May 8, 2023, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) announced that it revoked the licenses of 5 patent firms that collectively filed 30,780 abnormal (irregular) patent applications. This follow’s CNIPA’s announcement in March 2023 of sanctions against 7 firms that collectively filed over 20,000 abnormal applications, although there was only one license revocation in that earlier round. The continuing crackdown on abnormal applications as well as the crackdown on firms that file abnormal applications may have been the cause …
China Releases Typical Cases of China Customs Intellectual Property Protection in 2022
On April 25, 2023, the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China released the Typical Cases of China Customs Intellectual Property Protection in 2022 (2022年中国海关知识产权保护典型案例). The cases cover sportswear, toothpaste, automotive parts, watches, electronics and other products. As can be seen from the following cases, Customs will seize not only imported goods but also goods for export. As China is the “factory to the world” and a large source of counterfeits, seizing goods for export at the …