SPC Issues 'Decision on Modifying the Provisions on Several Issues Regarding the Intellectual Property Court of SPC'
Release Date: 27 October 2023
On 27 October 2023, the Supreme People's Court issued the 'Decision of the Supreme People's Court on Amending the Provisions of the Supreme People's Court on Several Issues Concerning Intellectual Property Court' (2023 Provisions). In contrast to the 2018 'Provisions of the Supreme People's Court on Several Issues Concerning Intellectual Property Court,' the 2023 Provisions no longer classify cases as civil or administrative: cases are now classified on the basis of the type of IP involved: e.g., patents, new plant varieties, integrated circuit layout designs, and trade secrets.
The 2023 Provisions place certain limits on the cases that will be accepted by the Intellectual Property Court of the Supreme People's Court: cases involving utility model patents, trade secrets, and computer software are limited to 'major' and 'complicated' cases. For invention patents, new plant varieties, and other cases, however, the criteria remain unchanged. Additionally, the 2023 Provisions remove the clauses relating to online case handling by the Intellectual Property Court as well as the special provisions on case jurisdiction, Articles 12, 13, and 14. They also adjust the relevant provisions on case transparency to require the lawful disclosure of case filing information, the names of members of the collegial panel, trial process, and judgment documents.
The 2023 Provisions officially came into effect on 1 November 2023.
Source: SPC
https://ipc.court.gov.cn/zh-cn/news/view-2600.html
最高人民法院发布《关于修改<最高人民法院关于知识产权法庭若干问题的规定>的决定》
发文日期：2023-10-27
2023年10月27日，最高人民法院《关于修改〈最高人民法院关于知识产权法庭若干问题的规定〉的决定》（《2023年规定》）。对比2018年发布的《最高人民法院关于知识产权法庭若干问题的规定》（《2018年规定》），《2023年规定》不再以民事案件或行政案件作为一类分类标准，采用涉案标的作为上诉案件的分类依据，如专利、植物新品种、集成电路布图设计，技术秘密等。
在受理标准上，《2023年规定》将最高人民法院知识产权法庭受理的实用新型专利、技术秘密、计算机软件相关的民事和行政二审案件的受理标准限定为 "重大、复杂"，但对于发明专利、植物新品种等案件则维持不变。此外，《2023年规定》删除了最高人民法院知识产权法庭在线办理案件、案件管辖特殊规定的条款，调整了案件公开的相关规定，要求立案信息、合议庭组成人员、审判流程和裁判文书等依法公开。《2023年规定》已于2023年11月1日正式施行。
资料来源：最高人民法院 2023-10-27
新闻链接：https://ipc.court.gov.cn/zh-cn/news/view-2600.html
SPC Releases Major Data on Judicial Trials from January to September 2023
Release Date: 24 October 2023
According to data released by the Supreme People's Court, in the period January to September 2023, courts nationwide received a total of 25.789 million cases, 23,509 of which were concluded. In the field of Intellectual Property, there were 371,000 first-instance cases filed, with significant increases in patent contract disputes (42% increase) and disputes over patent ownership and infringement (27% increase) compared to the same period last year. There were 17,000 newly filed first-instance civil cases concerning technology-related intellectual property, including 6,725 computer software copyright infringement cases and 6,438 utility model patent infringement cases.
Furthermore, in response to issues concerning delays in the handling of administrative cancellation, invalidation and opposition proceeding the Court has strengthened cooperation with the CNIPA e.g. if an application has been refused because of the existence of a prior mark, and the Court subsequently extinguishes or modifies the rights in that mark, the CNIPA will directly revoke its disputed ruling and make a new ruling based on the Court's determination.
Source: SPC
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/FXIS0Flz7-WW0A6uKs8QQA
最高人民法院公布2023年1-9月司法审判工作主要数据
日期：2023-10-24
根据最高人民法院公布的数据，全国法院自2023年1月至9月共收案2578.9万件，审结2350.9万件。在知识产权领域，一审知识产权案件收案37.1万件，专利合同纠纷、专利权权属及侵权纠纷较去年同期增幅较大，分别为42%和27%；新收技术类知识产权一审民事案件1.7万件，包含侵害计算机软件著作权纠纷案件6725件和侵害实用新型专利权纠纷案件6438件。此外，针对引证商标效力常常引发行政诉讼、审理周期较长的问题，法院坚持与国家知识产权局的协作，若引证商标专用权消灭或变更，国家知识产权局将直接撤销被诉裁决并根据引证商标新的权利状态重新作出裁决。
资料来源：最高人民法院 2023-10-24
新闻链接：https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/FXIS0Flz7-WW0A6uKs8QQA
General Office of the State Council Releases 'Special Action Program for Patent Commercialization and Application (2023-2025)'
Release Date: 19 October 2023
The General Office of the State Council has issued a 'Special Action Plan for Patent Commercialization and Application (2023-2025)' (the Plan), which encourages the commercialization and application of high-value patents, particularly in the fields of science and technology.
First, the Plan aims to promote the industrialization of patents by accelerating improvements in the national platform related to the filing and recognition of National Patent-Intensive Products, and by coordinating with enterprises and various major innovation platforms to cultivate high-value patent portfolios that will benefit industry.
Second, it seeks to stimulate patent commercialization by improving the exemption mechanisms for parties who fulfill the due care duty and fault-tolerant mechanisms for patent commercialization, and by using the benefits of patent commercialization as an important evaluation criterion for the performance assessment of the State Council's special action.
Third, it focuses on cultivating a market for intellectual property rights by improving related transaction services for open patent licensing, credit supervision, dispute mediation, and other supporting measures, and by promoting financial support such as intellectual property financing and intellectual property pledge financing.
Finally, it aims to strengthen organizational support by implementing a universal engineering project for public services related to intellectual property, and by implementing tax preferential policies related to patent commercialization and utilization.
The goal of the Plan is to achieve the commercialization of a number of high-value patents by 2025, with the national transaction value of technology contracts involving patents reaching 800 billion yuan (approx. US$ 111 billion), and the accelerated formation of competitive advantages in intellectual property in key industrial sectors, with the output value of patented products recognized exceeding 1 trillion yuan (approx. US$ 139 billion) nationwide.
Source: The State Council of the People's Republic of China
https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/202310/content_6910281.htm
国务院办公厅发布《专利转化运用专项行动方案（2023-2025年）》
发文日期：2023-10-19
国务院办公厅发布《专利转化运用专项行动方案（2023-2025年）》（《方案》），从四个方面对专利转化运用加以规制，旨在充分发挥知识产权制度供给和技术供给的双重作用：一是推进专利产业化，加快完善国家专利密集型产品备案认定平台，协同企业和各类重大创新平台培育具有行业领先优势的高价值专利组合；二是激发专利转化内生动力，健全专利转化的尽职免责和容错机制，将专利转化效益作为涉专利考核的重要评价标准；三是培育知识产权要素市场，完善专利开放许可相关交易服务、信用监管、纠纷调解等配套措施，推进知识产权融资信贷、知识产权质押融资等金融支持；四是强化组织保障，实施知识产权公共服务普惠工程，落实专利转化运用相关税收优惠政策。《方案》的目标是，到2025年，推动一批高价值专利实现产业化，全国涉及专利的技术合同成交额达到8000亿元，重点产业领域知识产权竞争优势加速形成，备案认定的专利密集型产品产值超万亿元。
资料来源：中国政府网 2023-10-19
新闻链接：https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/202310/content_6910281.htm
SPC Rules in favour of Galanz in Patent Infringement Action against Meige Company – Damages Award of 10 Million Yuan (approx. US$1.4 million)
Date: 13 October 2023
Galanz, one of the world's largest manufacturers of microwave ovens, brought a patent infringement action against Meige Company alleging infringement of its patent for a magnetron. The Supreme People's Court has held that Meige's magnetron products infringe Galanz's invention patent rights. It has awarded compensation of 10 million yuan (approx. US$ 1.4 million).
The magnetron is a core component of microwave ovens. Earlier reports from the Supreme People's Court indicated that Meige had produced a large quantity of magnetron products utilizing Galanz's patented technology after its wholly-owned parent company recruited an employee named Liu from Galanz's magnetron manufacturing department in January 2017.
Galanz discovered that 'Weili' branded microwave ovens, which contained Meige's magnetron, were being sold on multiple e-commerce platforms in 2020. As a result, it filed a patent infringement lawsuit with the Guangzhou Intellectual Property Court (the first-instance court), alleging that Meige's magnetron infringed its invention patent number 201510373341.8 for a 'Rivet cover mould for riveting the top cover of a magnetron.' The first-instance court found that the Meige magnetron did not fall within the scope of protection of Galanz's patent. Galanz appealed successfully to the Supreme People's Court.
Meige was ordered to cease the infringement and pay Galanz 10 million Yuan (approx. US$ 1.4 million) compensation for economic loss, and 200,000 RMB (approx. US$ 27,400) costs.
Source: Young Pai
https://new.qq.com/rain/a/20231013A0ASWR00
格兰仕专利案宣判，美格公司被判赔偿1000万
日期：2023-10-13
格兰仕与美格公司之间围绕微波炉磁控管的专利侵权纠纷在近日审结，最高人民法院作出判决，认为美格公司生产的磁控管产品侵犯了格兰仕的发明专利权。
磁控管是微波炉的核心部件。此前有报道称美格公司是在其全资母公司于2017年1月接触并聘任格兰仕磁控管制造部接触核心技术的员工刘某某后成立的。成立后，美格公司开始生产大量使用格兰仕专利技术的磁控管产品。格兰仕在2020年发现一名为"威力"的品牌在多个网购平台上销售使用了美格公司磁控管的微波炉，遂向广州知识产权法院（一审法院）提起专利侵权诉讼，认为美格公司的磁控管侵犯了格兰仕201510373341.8 号"用于铆紧磁控管上盖的铆盖模具"发明专利权。一审法院认为被诉磁控管产品并未落入格兰仕专利权保护范围。格兰仕向最高人民法院提出上诉，最高人民法院认为侵权成立，撤销一审法院判决，判令美格公司停止侵权并支付1000万元经济损失及20万元维权合理支出。
资料来源：羊城派 2023-10-13
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