On January 28, 2022, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released the Administrative Measures for the Credit Evaluation of Patent Agents (for Trial Implementation) (专利代理信用评价管理办法(试行)), which will grade Chinese patent agencies and agents. Grades will be based on per capita agency volume of patent filings and filing of abnormal patent applications with bonus points for reporting wrongdoing. The trial is being piloted in Hebei Province, Jiangsu Province, Hunan Province, and Sichuan Province.
China’s National Intellectual Property Administration Issues Notice on Continuing and Strictly Regulating Patent Application Behavior
On January 25, 2022, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) issued the Notice on Continuing and Strictly Regulating Patent Application Behavior (国家知识产权局关于持续严格规范专利申请行为的通知) to further crack down on irregular (abnormal) Chinese patent applications. In December 2021, CNIPA announced it had determined that about 815,000 patent applications were irregular so far in 2021.
Reminder: China National Intellectual Property Administration to Close for Spring Festival 2022
The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) will be closed January 31st to February 6th 2022 for the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival). Note, to compensate, CNIPA will be open on January 29 (Saturday) and January 30 (Sunday). Patent deadlines are postponed to the next following non-weekend workday. Other closure dates for 2022 Chinese holidays can be found here.
Shanghai No. 3 Intermediate People’s Court Affirms Prison Sentence in 61 Million RMB Cartier Counterfeit Case
On January 24, 2022, the Shanghai Third Intermediate People’s Court (上海第三中院) announced the affirmation of a lower court’s ruling sentencing co-defendant Wu XX to two years, two months in prison for counterfeiting trademarks of Cartier and generating illegal revenue of more than 61 million RMB (~$9.6 million USD).