Author Archives: Dr. Danny Friedmann

Monday, 20th of March, the IP in China conference was held in London. This one-day-programme was packed with presentations on Chinese IPR Law and instructions for companies on how to protect their IPRs in China. Most of the speakers said … Continue reading →

Message of IP Dragon IP Dragon is packing its bags and will attend the IPR in China Conference next Monday in London. So expect a summary of the events next Wednesday. Untill that day IP Dragon is away. Ta ta … Continue reading →

Republican Representative for the State of Michigan, Joe Knollenberg’s proposed a bill to strengthen the anti-counterfeiting statute of the US. This ‘Stop Counterfeiting in Manufactured Goods Act’ was signed into law on March, 15th: it provides for the mandatory destruction … Continue reading →

Winnie Wang wrote an article for the Shanghai Daily about the end of Xiangyang market, Shanghai’s hotbed of counterfeit goods, where inspection was as inauthentic as many of the goods there, despite the banner that was put above the market. … Continue reading →

According to Epson (Epson Portland Inc., Epson America Inc., and Seiko Epson Corp.) at least nine of its patents are infringed by 24 companies (13 from the US, five from Hong Kong, three from China, and one each from Macao, … Continue reading →

Jordan Green wrote for Yes! Weekly an article about Russell Peck, composer in the tradition of Bach, Beethoven and Mozart: “Peck has also developed a following in China and other parts of the Far East, with orchestras performing his work … Continue reading →

Hollywood movies took a tumble in 2005, by 9 percent. Dan Glickman, Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)’s Chief executive wants theatre owners join the battle against movie piracy. Glickman is focusing at the root of the problem and wants … Continue reading →

Chinese premier Wen Jiabiao presented the report on the work of his government at the Fourth Session of the Tenth National People’s Congress on March 5, 2006. I this speech he mentioned intellectual property five times and trademarks one time. … Continue reading →

Markenbusiness News, a magazine for brandname owners, with daily news about names, trademarks, brands and legal issues, wrote that French Customs at Le Havre had confiscated 61, 4 percent more imitations than the previous year. The trends in counterfeit goods … Continue reading →

The boutique shops of Jade Palace Hotel in Beijing were raided by Beijing’s Haidian District Department of Industry and Commerce. It found more than 56 pieces of counterfeit brand clothing, Boss and Dunhill, in the hotel’s boutique shops. Read the … Continue reading →

Xu Fang of the Shanghai Daily portrayed Yan Jiaming, a civilian who has brought a series of lawsuits against local retailers including Foxtown, Lotus and Auchan for selling fakes or commodities that have passed their shelf life. However, some courts … Continue reading →

According to the People’s Daily the Chinese people were angered by application of the trademark ‘Not made in China’ to the EU Office for Harmonization of Internal Market. The Chinese arguments stated on a petition forwarde by the Beijing Trademark … Continue reading →

Ong Boon Kiat is writing for Security TechPlanet that China is pushing for its own Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) standard. China is developing new standards (such as for digital audio and video files too, see here), to own intellectual property … Continue reading →

Chris Israel, coordinator for international intellectual property enforcement at the U.S. Department of Commerce has a strategy how to deal with China. He testified his plan before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation subcommittee: Engagement through the bilateral consultative mechanism … Continue reading →

CRI republished Xinhua’s article about IPR courses given at primary schools. The example of young Liang Jinchao advising his father Liang Zhikai about the advantages of registering the name of his store as a trademark sounds more sympathetic than the … Continue reading →

“The Legislation Protecting Intellectual Property Rights and its Enforcement in the European Union and the People’s Republic of China: A Comparative Study” is commissioned by the joint EU-China Trade Project (EUCTP). It’s written by Paul Ranjard, Huang Hui and Benoît … Continue reading →

China Daily’s In Brief is briefing about the latest developments in intellectual property in China. The subjects are: Trademark applications, China the global leader in trademark registration applications; IPR Exhibition in Beijing; Pearson’s Longman Case; .cn domain increase;Counterfeit chocolate: Ferrero … Continue reading →

Joseph Pratt, media specialist at ICMD, is ranting about Starbucks in China for Daily India. About the Starbucks (Xingbake) court case Pratt wrote:“I wonder if the local coffee merchant thought he had a chance? Did the Chinese judge think long … Continue reading →

In the Financial Express there is an article about Sri Lankan producers that urge the government to take up their case with WIPO to protect natural cinnamon. China, India and Indonesia sell cassia as cinnamon.“The problem has to be addressed,” … Continue reading →

Nanjing Automobile Corp, owner of the MG and Austin IPR’s, is giving these British brand a second life. And Shanghai Automobile Industry Corp acquired the designs and intellectual property rights of the Rover 75, Rover 25 and related engines. Read … Continue reading →

“Qinghua (Tsinghua IP Dragon) University professor Huang Yanfu sued Founder (600601.SH) in Beijing Haidian People’s Court in late February for copyright infringement, reports China Legal News. According to Huang, Founder published an electronic version of a book he published in … Continue reading →

US Golf Manufacturers Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group has won a case against Xie Fu Ping, a golf retailer of Shanghai. Shanghai’s 2nd Intermediate People’s Court sentenced Xie to a 1-year term of imprisonment, suspended for 1 year, and ordered him to … Continue reading →

Spokane-based Lee & Hayes PLLC, an intellectual property law firm is considering opening offices in China soon. Read more in the Spokane Journal of Business here.

Sun Huapu, the Chief Judge of the Supervisory Tribunal of the Supreme People’s Court made public that China’s supreme court has named a Judicial Court of Intellectual Property to handle such cases nationwide. The idea is that such a judicial … Continue reading →

SIPO Poetry Tian LiPu, SIPO’s commissioner is looking back and forward (“the year 2006 is the very first year of the ” eleventh five – year plan””) and becomes poetic in the process: “In the last five years, the idea … Continue reading →

Randy Conat of ABC12.com wrote an article about counterfeit auto parts in the US. MEMA says about 80 percent are coming from China. According to the US Federal Trade Commission, counterfeiting costs the global automotive parts industry $12 billion a … Continue reading →

China announced it will draft or revise 17 laws, regulations, and measures relating to trademark, copyright, patent and customs protection, and clarify six judicial interpretations. In order to raise the general public’s awareness of intellectual property rights protection, 21 training … Continue reading →

Jørgen M. Clausen, CEO of Danfoss, a Danish manufacturer of valves, compressors etc. was interviewed about this company’s strategy to make China their second home market. Of cource, William E. Hoover Jr., the interviewer, asked Clausen how he protected Danfoss’ … Continue reading →

Too high an esteem of authoritative sources could backfire, if people don’t dare to express original thoughts. Wu Jiayin looked for the ShanghaiDaily into the world of academia and found students that copy too much and even aTshinghua University associate … Continue reading →

Meg Utterback, attorney at Thelen Reid & Priest, wrote an illuminating article about enforcement of IPR in China. Administrative enforcementTrademark infringement: apply in writing to SAIC or one of its local bureaus.“If the application is rejected, the applicant will be … Continue reading →

Cedric Lam, attorney at Dorsey & Whitney LLP, wrote an overview of last year’s IP in China developments. Among other things Lam summarised the thresholds for criminal enforcements: Trademark counterfeiting Maximum punishment of three years’ imprisonment and/or a fine: For … Continue reading →

Attorneys Sebastian Hughes, Barbara W.K. Mok and Iain C.L. Seow at Jones Day and Adelaide Yu of Yu and Partners, member of Rouse & Co International, advocate a broader interpretation of the Hong Kong Companies Ordinance provisions to prevent ‘shadow … Continue reading →

“Asia Pacific regional office of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), the music business’ main lobbying arm, sent Yahoo China cease-and-desist warnings on behalf of the four major international labels in December.“ Like Baidu.com before, Yahoo.cn is deep-linking … Continue reading →

Chief Justice of the IPR Tribunal of the Supreme People’s Court Jiang Zhipei is claiming a bigger role for China in drafting international rules on IPR. Read CRI’s article here.

After the victory of trademark holders against the landlord of Silk Alley market, Philip Lin, a columnist of Pacific Epoch wrote that fakes are now being concealed. Now Ann Mah wrote for the International Herald Tribune that there is still … Continue reading →

A&L Goodbody, AB Tetra Pak, Albihns Malmo, Arnold & Porter, AstraZeneca, Bawden & Associates, Boult Wade Tennant, British Sky Broadcasting, De La Rue Identity Systems, DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary, Dow Corning Corporation, DSM Patents & Trademarks, Dyson, ElkemFirmenich, France … Continue reading →

ChinaDaily briefs about some IPR related subjects:Walt Disney versus Mickeyle (no not Mickey), a Shenzhen based children’s clothing manufacturer in a trade mark infringement law suit before the Shenzhen Medium People’s Court on February 20. “Walt Disney asked Mickeyle to … Continue reading →

17-year old Fake Shoes from China Importer Faces 9 Months Prison Oniya, also known as “The Hussleman”, is a 17-year old boy who will have to serve nine months in prison, because he imported fake shoes and other products from … Continue reading →

Watchers of the US-China IP conflict are starting to yawn, because the president’s trade policy agenda 2006 written by Robert J. Portman, US Trade representative, March 1st, provided nothing new about the conflict between the US over intellectual property protection … Continue reading →

National Copyright Administration (NCA) official, Long Xinmin said that 95 percent of the local governments in China have used genuine software. This comes as a surprise just a week after US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez Gutierrez has made pirated government … Continue reading →

During exhibitions rights holders want to steal the show with prototypes of their new products, but instead, oftentimes their intellectual property got stolen by pirates. A new regulation issued by the Ministry of Commerce, SAIC, NCA and SIPO must decrease … Continue reading →

I’ll be back on Friday, March, 3rd.

“Not made in China” trademark Gibraltar based Alvito Holdings has applied to register the text mark ‘Not made in China’ and two graphical marks at the EU’s Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM). OHIM has already published the … Continue reading →

Martin Crutsinger of the Associated Press wrote that US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, the former Kellogg’s (cereals) CEO, has first hand IP in China related experience (he lost a court case in 1996: “The Chinese court ruled that Kellogg’s did … Continue reading →

Lately, the world has seen that parody can be a dangerous affair. Instead of shouting murder or burning some buildings, Chen Kaige has denounced an online parody of his latest movie The Promise as immoral and instructed his lawyer to … Continue reading →

Nick Farell wrote for The Inquirer that, Audio Video Coding Standard (AVS), a Chinese audio/video codec, is on the verge of becoming a national standard. According to the Electronic Times it will even take over from MPEG-4 and WMV-9. “The … Continue reading →

Philip Brooks’ Patent Infringement Updates (which is worth a recommendation) has another interesting post about Human Resources at two law firms in China to strengthen their intellectual property practice in China. Read here.

According to Consumers International (CI) China protects copyright holders a bit too much. Say what? CI has written a report about China’s protection of copyrighted educational material, that is hampering students’ access to knowledge, even when the Berne Convention and … Continue reading →

Donald C. Clarke, professor of Law at George Washington University Law School, blogs at Chinese Law Prof Blog. He has a post about two IP-related job opportunities at the US Embassy in Beijing open to US and Chinese citizens. Read … Continue reading →