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).
China Releases 2022 National Intellectual Property Administrative Protection Work Plan
On January 24, 2022, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released the 2022 National Intellectual Property Administrative Protection Work Plan (国家知识产权局关于印发2022年全国知识产权行政保护工作方案的通知). Two interesting goals of the Plan include further reducing abnormal patent applications and malicious trademark registrations and gradually reduce and eventually eliminate financial subsidies for patent authorization.
China’s National Intellectual Property Administration Releases 14th Five-Year Plan for Patent and Trademark Examination
On January 20, 2022, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released the 14th Five-Year Plan for Patent and Trademark Examination (专利和商标审查“十四五”规划). The Plan specifies development goals and indicator to reach by 2025. Of particular note for patent practitioners is the goal to reduce the patent examination cycle from an average of 20 months to 15 months and the potential adding of a preliminary examination for inventiveness in utility models.
China’s National Intellectual Property Administration Announces Rapid 20-Day Trademark Application Examination Program
On January 18, 2022, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released the Measures for Rapid Examination of Trademark Applications (for Trial Implementation) (商标注册申请快速审查办法（试行)) that provides for examination of certain trademark applications within 20 days of approval of a request to participate. The Measures are effective immediately.