On June 1, 2023, China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) announced in the Notice on filing work of trademark agencies (商标代理机构备案有关工作的通知) that is would no longer accept trademark applications from trademark agencies that failed to register with CNIPA. However, these trademark agencies can complete existing applications. Note that almost three quarters of all Chinese trademark agencies have failed to reregister by the end of the first quarter of 2023 per the Report on National Intellectual Property Agency Industry Development Status …
Drop in Chinese Utility Model Grants Accelerates in April 2023 in Shift from Quantity to Quality
Recently released data for April 2023 from China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) shows an acceleration in the drop of utility model grants. Cumulatively (from January through April 2023), utility model grants were down almost 37% year-on-year to 757,817 grants and down over 70% in April 2023 to 268,331 grants versus April 2022. Utility model grants were down 21.7% to 600,206 grants in the first quarter of 2023 versus a year ago. This drop, combined with an almost 3% increase …
China’s National Intellectual Property Administration Releases 8-Point Work Plan for 2023
On May 28 2023 China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released the Key Points of the Work of the CNIPA in 2023 (国家知识产权局2023年工作要点). Key points include legislate work, such as proposing a new round of amendments to the Trademark Law, completing the amendments to the Detailed Rules for Implementation of the Patent Law, as well introducing more substantive examination of designs and utility models. Excerpts follow.
China’s National Intellectual Property Administration Releases “Guidelines for the Determination of Abnormal Patent Applications and the Handling of Matters after the Determination”
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.