July 8, 2025

Fresh Perspective on Navigating Trademark Three-Year-Non-Use Cases in China

The large number of trademarks in China, combined with their monopolistic characteristics, makes trademarks—particularly “valuable trademarks”—a limited asset in business competition, which inevitably results in a “scramble” for them. Additionally, the law requires trademark registrants to use and consistently utilize their registered trademarks. There is a three-year grace period after registration during which the registrant […]

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Legal Liability and Case Analysis of Forged Trademark Authorization Letters

Introduction In real-world scenarios, instances of forging trademark authorization letters are not uncommon. Such acts may involve impersonating an authorized brand dealer, deceiving online platforms to gain promotional and sales privileges, or engaging in fraudulent activities using these forged documents.  The following is an overview and examination of the characteristics of forgery trademark authorization letters

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Insights into Landmark National Ruling Involving Artificial Intelligence Generated Content

This case marks a significant milestone as the first national ruling aimed at safeguarding the copyright of AI-generated “text-to-image” works.   (2023)京0491民初11279号民事判决书 In its ruling, the Chinese court maintained an “anthropocentric” approach to defining copyright ownership, viewing the AI model as a supportive tool rather than the primary creator. It underscores the legislative intent of “encouraging

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Navigating the Landscape of Trademark Protection for Foreign Businesses in China

The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) has taken significant steps in recent years to combat malicious trademark registration practices. This includes addressing issues such as trademark hoarding, piggybacking on well-known brands, free-riding, and hijacking trending topics.  Despite these efforts, as outlined in Articles 33 and 45 of the Trademark Law, the CNIPA will not

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Navigating China’s Trade Secret Protection: Policies, Developments & Strategic Enforcement (2025 Update)

Introduction China’s competitive landscape increasingly revolves around technological innovation and critical business intelligence. Trade secrets – encompassing undisclosed technical and operational information with commercial value – are vital assets for business survival and growth. Defined under Article 9(4) of China’s Anti-Unfair Competition Law (AUCL), they require three elements: secrecy, commercial value, and confidentiality measures by the rights

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Proving Service Mark Usage in China: Strategic Compliance with CNIPA’s Rigorous Evidence Standards(Updated for 2023-2025 Examination Practices)

I. Evolving Legal Context China’s trademark landscape has intensified scrutiny on “defensive registrations.” While CNIPA historically permitted broad-class filings exceeding actual business scope, mounting pressure from trademark squatters prompted the strictest evidence standards since 2023 for non-use cancellation proceedings ([10]). Understanding this shift is critical for foreign entities maintaining service mark registrations. Historical context clarifies

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Strategic Use of Non-Compete Agreements to Protect Trade Secrets in China

Evolution of Legal Frameworks China’s approach to non-compete agreements has shifted significantly since 2008. Initially treated as trade secret infringement cases, these disputes are now classified as labor contract matters under judicial practice. Businesses  must navigate this dual-track system—where trade secret infringements fall under tort law, while non-compete breaches are contractual disputes—to effectively safeguard intellectual

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Case Law: Douyin Awarded a Hefty Compensation of 83 million RMB for Infringing Meishe’s Copyright

Douyin Copying Editing Code of Meishe SDK In May 2021, Meishe Company discovered that the audio and video editing code within the Douyin app had been largely replicated from its Meishe SDK software, which is protected by copyright. Further investigations indicated that other ByteDance products, such as Jianying, Juyuan Chuangyi, Faceu, Tuchong, Qingyan Camera, Duoshan,

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Judge Article: Genuine Intent to Use in Trademark Cancellations

法官说商标 _ “撤三”案件中“真实使用意图”的判断 High Standards for Evidence in Trademark Non-Use Cancellations The phrase “Cancellation for Non-Use” refers to a trademark cancellation initiated by the registered owner due to a lack of valid reasons for not using the trademark. This is commonly known as a “trademark cancellation for non-use” case. Recently, trademark applications in China have

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Global Patent Disputes Among Leading Steel Industry Players in China

China leads the world in both steel production and sales. With an impressive annual output of approximately 1 billion tons, China accounts for nearly half of the global steel production. Following China, India ranks second with around 100 million tons produced annually. Japan and the United States each produce between 70 to 80 million tons,

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