On March 30, 2023, the Intellectual Property Tribunal of China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) released the “Typical Cases of the Intellectual Property Tribunal of the Supreme People’s Court (2022)” (最高人民法院知识产权法庭典型案例(2022)). The SPC selected 20 cases from the 3,468 technology-related intellectual property and monopoly cases it concluded in 2022 to “summarize and give full play to the positive role of typical cases, effectively increase the protection of intellectual property rights, and maintain a fair competition order in the market.” Per the …
Copyright Registrations Up 1.42% in China YoY for 2022; Software Copyright Registrations Down 19.5%
Per data released on March 21, 2023 by the National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC), the number of copyright registrations in China for 2022 was 6,353,144, a year-on-year increase of 1.42%. However, there were 1,835,341 computer software copyright registrations in 2022, a year-on-year decrease of 19.50%.
Wuxi Intermediate People’s Court Upholds 4.5 Year Prison Sentence for Chinese Trademark Scammer
On March 23, 2023, the Wuxi Intermediate People’s Court (无锡市中级人民法院) upheld a lower court’s sentence of 4.5 years for Zhao XX as well as a fine of 30,000 RMB and restitution of 280,000 RMB. Zhao used the “trademark document express delivery” scam to courier copies of official trademark approval announcements to trademark applicants requiring the payment of 25 RMB upon receipt.
China’s National Intellectual Property Administration Sanctions 7 Patent Firms for Filing Over 20,000 Abnormal (Irregular) Patent Applications
On March 14, 2023, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) sanctioned 7 Chinese patent firms for filing over 20,000 abnormal (i.e., junk) patent applications. Sanctions included suspensions in accepting new business for 6 or 12 months and 1 revocation of a patent license. However, no fines were issued. Further crackdowns are expected this year per the 2023 Administrative Protection Work Plan, which stated that CNIPA would “severely crack down on abnormal patent applications and malicious registration of trademarks. “