IP scene

Beijing

Local court hears appeal for decision on Apple dispute

The Beijing Intellectual Property Court heard a lawsuit filed by Apple and phone retailer Zoomflight against the Beijing IP bureau and Chinese phone maker Baili. Previously, Baili accused Zoomflight of selling the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models, which it claimed infringed on the design patent of its 100C smartphone model. The bureau ruled in favor of Baili in May, but Apple and Zoomflight appealed against the ruling.

Beijing Times

Tianjin

Alliance integrates regional IP services for businesses

More than 40 local companies have joined the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei IP development alliance, which was established in late March to integrate IP service resources in the three regions and help companies with international competition.

Tianjin Daily

Shandong

Qingdao customs offices confiscate counterfeit goods

The customs at Qingdao Liuting Airport handled about 180 IP infringement cases over the last 11 months, including a recent incident involving nearly 1,400 counterfeit Apple and Samsung chargers. Qingdao Dagang Customs encourages local companies to register their intellectual property to better protect their rights. Executives from Qingdao Sentury Tire, which exports more than 9 million tires to about 150 countries and regions annually, said the registration system is a defense against counterfeits when exporting.

China Daily

Fujian

Court restructuring consolidates civil and criminal cases

The province's IP authorities will optimize their management system according to a recently unveiled plan to build a strong IP province. The courts in Fujian will be reorganized so that civil, criminal and administrative IP cases will all be handled within the same division of the courts. In the Fujian Pilot Free Trade Zone, a special office will be responsible for all patents, trademarks and copyright issues.

Fuzhou Daily

Guangxi

Police seize 77k cigarettes to be sold illegally online

Guangxi police recently announced they have arrested four suspects selling counterfeit cigarettes online. The Laibin city police started an investigation in March after receiving information that a local man and two others in neighboring Hunan province bought counterfeit cigarettes from Fujian province and sold them via online payment systems and messaging apps. The police seized 77,000 cigarettes worth 133,500 yuan ($19,348).

Xinhua News Agency

Guangdong

Winners of design competition can file patents for free

Winners of the first Zhongshan Intelligent Manufacturing Design Competition will be allowed to file patent applications based on their 22 award-winning products for free. The products stood out from 186 candidates in four categories. The competition, launched in mid-January, aims to develop top designers and promote industrialization of quality designs.

Zhongshan Daily

Overseas

China, Japan andSouth Korea hold annual meeting

At the 16th trilateral meeting among the patent authorities of China, Japan and South Korea, held in Odawara in Japan last week, officials from the three countries agreed to enhance their cooperation to face the challenges of rapidly increasing patent filings. Shen Changyu, commissioner of China's State Intellectual Property Office, said the three countries are playing a key role in the world's IP field, as they together account for more than half of global patent applications.

China Intellectual Property News

(China Daily 12/14/2016 page17)