Starting from September 1, 2021, both applicants and their trademark agents or agency will need to sign and seal a Letter of Commitment for the Good Faith of the Parties Requesting the Protection of Well-Known Trademarks (当事人请求驰名商标保护诚信承诺书) when requesting well-known status for Chinese trademarks. Well-known status for Chinese trademarks must be requested from the China National Intellectual Property Administration or certain courts and can be useful when squatters are attempting to register or have registered an applicant’s mark.
Elite Model Look Wins Trademark Victory in Shanghai
On August 26, 2021, the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court announced a ruling on appeal in favor of Elite Licensing Company SA in a trademark infringement case. Elite is the owner and licensor of trademarks including and. Xingkong Fashion Culture Communication (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and Chongqing Xingyuan Culture Media Co., Ltd. held “elite model” competitions in 2016 and 2017, which infringed Elite’s trademarks. The Court of first instance issued an injunction and damages of 3.5 million RMB and expenses 122,302 RMB …
China’s National Intellectual Property Administration Releases Patent Agency Industry Status Report (2020): Chinese Patent Attorneys File 222 Patent Applications Per Year on Average
On August 27, 2021, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released a report entitled Development Status of the Patent Agency Industry (2020) (专利代理行业发展状况（2020年)). According to the report, as of the end of 2020, the number of Chinese patent practitioners has reached 53,090, among which 23,193 are practicing patent attorneys, and there are 3,253 patent agencies (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan). In contrast, the U.S. has 47,228 registered patent practitioners despite having approximately a quarter of the population of …
China’s National Intellectual Property Administration Punishes 71 Firms & Professionals for Unlicensed Practice of Patent Law
On August 23, 2021, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) announced the administrative punishment of 71 Chinese patent firms and individuals for the unlicensed practice of patent law. Total fines exceeded 5 million RMB and usually included confiscation of illegal income as well as a fine that was a multiple of the illegal income. The punished firms and individuals were in Shanghai, Liaoning, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong, Hunan, Guangdong, Sichuan, and Ningxia. While the sanctioned firms seemed to cater to …