IP scene

GUANGDONG

Fantawild files to stop sale of unlicensed goods

Tourists pose with Boonie Bears figures in a park in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province.

Fantawild Holdings Inc, copyright owner of the popular animation Boonie Bears, filed 79 lawsuits against 12 shops in Dongguan for selling toys involving Boonie Bears characters without its licensing. It requested compensation of 10,000 yuan ($1,439) in each case. A local court ruled that the shops violated the company's rights, though they are not the manufacturers of the products. Most of the cases have ended in mediation.

Guangzhou Daily

BEIJING

Sino-Japanese alliance offers mutual protection

The Sino-Japanese Intellectual Property Protection Alliance was founded last week as the first overseas strategic partner of the China Anti-Infringement and Anti-Counterfeit Innovation Strategic Alliance. It will cooperate with the government, industry associations and e-commerce platforms to help Chinese companies in Japan and Japanese companies in China to manage and protect their IP, and to promote trade between the two countries.

China Quality Daily

JIANGSU

Ori Animation signs largest-ever intl contract

At the Animation International Cooperation Summit 2016 held last week in Suzhou, local company Ori Animation signed contracts worth $68 million with six companies from eight countries, the largest international deal that a Chinese animation company has ever had. The company started its global business in 2013. It is now engaged in copyright cooperation with companies in 120 countries and regions. The summit attracted renowned movie producers from 12 countries.

Guangming Daily

SHANGHAI

New appeals court to handle patent disputes

China is exploring the possibility of a new appeals court dedicated to IP cases, said Tao Kaiyuan, vice-president of the Supreme People's Court, at a recent IP seminar. The court also plans to found a leadership group to advance judicial reforms in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, where the Beijing IP Court will play a crucial role. The move aims to promote coordinated innovation and economic transformation across the region, Tao said.

Xinhua News Agency

FUJIAN

Xiamen notary portal to streamline management

The China Notary Association has launched an IP notary website in Xiamen to leverage resources of its members nationwide for enhanced IP protection. The new portal will provide coordinated, standardized notary services across regions and help to check for IP infringements on the internet. By conducting big data analysis and keeping a close eye on online infringements, it also serves as a fundamental national technological platform and provides support to IP policy makers, the association staff said.

Fujian Daily

(China Daily 12/28/2016 page17)