Patent

On January 19th, the framework agreement for co-building the Patent Examination Cooperation Hubei Center of the Patent Office, SIPO was signed in Wuhan between SIPO and the People’s Government of Hubei Province.

International

On January 25th, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto signed new legislation centralizing the handling of IP matters in the Market Court of Finland.

Others

On January 29th, the National Development and Reform Commission, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, and other three administrative departments jointly issued the Implementation Opinion of Popularizing Digital Terrestrial Television Receivers, proposing to establish a sound IP protection system for digital televisions.

[February]

Patent

In February, the Technical Committee on ACG of Standardization Administration of China was officially established in Shanghai.

Patent

In February, the Corporate Intellectual Property Management Norms drafted by SIPO was approved and promulgated by General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, and the Standardization Administration of China, effective from March 1st. This is China’s first national standards for corporate IP management.

Trademark

On March 25th, China Trademark Office website issued the Notice on Recordation of Law Firms, announcing the first listing of 7,864 recorded law firms. China Trademark Office said from now on the recorded law firms could engage in trademark agency services in accordance with the law.

[March]

Patent

In March, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Science and Technology jointly issued the Development Plan for Major National Innovation Bases for the 12th Five-year Period. The plan stressed the need to improve IP management systems and accelerate the construction of a national innovation registration system.

Copyright

In March, the General Administration of Press and Publication and State Administration of Radio, Film and Television merged to form the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television. The new administration also runs the National Copyright Administration.

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Formation of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television

In March, the Plan of Reform and Functional Transformation of the Departments of the State Council was announced, merging the original functions of the General Administration of Press and Publication and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television to form the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television. The new administration was meant to coordinate and manage the industrial development, contents, quality, and copyright management of press, publication, broadcasting, film and television, supervise and manage press, publication, radio, film enterprises and businesses.

Conference

On March 23rd, a conference to establish Zhongguancun IP Law and Protection Research Institute was held in Beijing.

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Zhongguancun IP Law and Protection Research Institute

The establishment of the institute garnered wide support from the relevant government departments and people from all walks of life. More than 100 people, including the legal academic authorities Professor Jiang Ping and Professor Chen Guangzhong, practitioners, business representatives, experts and scholars from research institutes, attended. The Beijing-based institute aims to explore the legal protection of IP rights across China, actively carry out international exchanges and cooperation in IP protections, and provide theoretical supports for an innovative method of IP rights protection.

Others

On March 24th, Zhongguancun IP Law and Protection Research Institute was inaugurated by many well-known experts from Peking University, China University of

Trademark

On March 25th, China Trademark Office website issued the Notice on Recordation of Law Firms, announcing the first listing of 7,864 recorded law firms. China Trademark Office said from now on the recorded law firms could engage in trademark agency services in accordance with the law.

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Administrative Rules on Law Firms Engaging in Trademark Agency Business

The Administrative Rules on Law Firms Engaging in Trademark Agency Business, which was jointly drafted by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce and the Ministry of Justice, came into force on January 1st, marking official eligibility for law firms and lawyers to enter the trademark agent industry. The entry would help meet the growing demand for legal services in trademark agency business, improve service quality and promote healthy and orderly development of the industry. The promulgation of these rules will play an important role in establishing legal status of lawyers in trademark agency business, improve IP agency system, and encourage lawyers to serve in building an innovation-oriented nation.

Patent

On March 28th, in Huawei v. ZTE Corp. which involved the EP724 data card patent infringement, the Paris District Court rejected all the claims of Huawei, the plaintiff, and ordered Huawei to pay Euros 100,000 in compensation to defendants ZTE and its French subsidiary.

Trademark

On March 29th, the Beijing Municipal Government issued the Opinion on In-depth Implementation of Trademark Strategies to Promote Development of Capital’s Brand Economy, which symbolized the implementation of Beijing’s trademark strategies and phasing “in-depth” stages of development.