IP scene

Beijing

Guide released to boost efficiency

Beijing High People's Court recently released a guide on hearing copyright cases to promote quality and efficiency in the city's courts. The guide contains 160 items, covering issues such as the identification of infringing copyright-related personal rights, film and television copyright and computer software copyright. The guide's release is a fresh start for the capital's copyright judgment work, local authorities said.

People.com.cn

Dior wins perfume bottle shape dispute

The Supreme People's Court ruled in favor of French fashion designer Christian Dior in a recent trademark dispute. The court heard the case on World Intellectual Property Day, which falls on April 26. It overturned the rulings by lower courts and ordered the defendant, the Trademark Review and Adjudication Board, to re-consider a trademark application by the company. Dior applied for territory extensions to five countries including China via the Madrid trademark system, for its signature tear drop-shaped perfume bottle, which was rejected by the board in 2015.

Xinhua News Agency

Henan

Key industry fund to protect rights

The province's first intellectual property operation fund for key industries was launched recently, with its first-phase capital worth 300 million yuan ($47.33 million). Initiated by Henan's IP office, the fund mainly supports unlisted IP companies in the province, including those in the fields of super-hard materials-focused new materials, electronic information and equipment manufacturing, as well as related IP operation organizations, said the office's head Liu Huaizhang.

Science And Technology Daily

Guangdong

Report reveals record trials heard

Courts in Shenzhen received 28,027 intellectual property cases, concluding 27,668 of them last year, according to a white paper released in late April. Of the concluded cases, 27,026 were civil cases, 634 were criminal cases and eight were administrative cases. The courts have cracked down on IP infringements to create market order, where IP is respected, related authorities said. They have ruled over 634 criminal cases, convicting 1,220 people and imposed fines worth about 103.35 million yuan ($16.2 million).

Shenzhen Special Zone Daily

Tech standards for patent professionals

New technical standards for evaluating patent professionals were announced recently, the first of its kind in the country, local officials said. The standards released by the province's human resources and social security department, and IP office are designed for agencies, examiners, managers and analysts in the patent sector. They set requirements for educational credentials, work experience and achievements, and academic papers. About 34,000 people were involved in the patent sector as of the end of last year, including 12,000 service providers.

Gmw.cn

(China Daily 05/03/2018 page17)