作者:瞿淼 金杜律师事务所知识产权诉讼

2014年10月9日,最高人民法院通过新闻发布会公布《最高人民法院关于审理利用信息网络侵害人身权益民事纠纷案件适用法律若干问题的规定》(“《规定》”》,且《规定》自发布次日即行生效。最高院并同时公布与此相关的八大典型案例,引起广大网友和媒体的广泛关注和热烈讨论。本文从如何运用该规定维护自身合法权益的角度对《规定》解读如下:

一、法人、其它组织及自然人皆有维权依据

《规定》第一条明确规定,该规定适用范围为利用信息网络侵害人身权益的民事纠纷,该等人身权益包含姓名权、名称权、名誉权、荣誉权、肖像权、隐私权。从以上规定可以看出,法人及自然人皆可根据此进行维权。对于企业法人,其依据《民法通则》等法律保护的人身权益包括名称权、名誉权、荣誉权等。
Continue Reading 网络世界人身权益维权有新规

By Richard  Wigley  King&WoodMallesons’ Intellectual Property Group

Though there are relatively few publicized instances where foreign companies (or their P.R.C. subsidiaries or joint ventures) or foreign individuals in China have formally been found to have run afoul of the Law of the P.R.C. on Guarding State Secrets (“State Secrets Law”)[1], the consequences of doing so are significant. Specifically, the Interpretation of the Supreme People’s Court on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law for Trial of Cases of Stealing, Buying, or Unlawfully Supplying State Secrets or Intelligence for Entities outside of the Territory of China (“Interpretation”) notes that “[w]hoever steals, spies into, buys or unlawfully supplies state secrets or intelligence for entities outside of the Territory of China” can, under certain circumstances, be given a lengthy prison term or, potentially, in especially serious cases even the death sentence.[2] As such, foreign companies and individuals that may be dealing with state secrets in China should be very concerned regarding their duties and potential liabilities under the State Secrets Law.
Continue Reading China’s State Secrets Law and Compliance Issues for Foreign Companies

作者:史玉生 矫鸿彬 金杜律师事务所知识产权

2014年8月31日,《关于在北京、上海、广州设立知识产权法院的决定》(“《决定》”)获得全国人大常委会的表决通过,被视为中国知识产权保护的又一实质性进步。在拍手叫好之时,我们需要对这一决定的具体涵义进行解读。

首先,从审理案件的范围来看,并非所有的知识产权案件均由知识产权法院审理。知识产权法院只审理特定种类的一审案件,包括专利、植物新品种、集成电路布图设计、技术秘密等专业性较强的知识产权民事和行政案件,该规定其实与目前的实际情况吻合,这些案件目前主要就是由直辖市或省会市的中级法院管辖,只不过将来是由单设的知识产权法院管辖。而对此类由知识产权法院进行裁判的一审案件,如果当事人提起上诉,由知识产权法院所在地的高级法院进行二审,这一安排与现状相同。

其他第一审著作权、商标等知识产权民事和行政案件,仍然由目前具有相关知识产权案件管辖权的基层人民法院审理,而对这些案件的上诉即二审案件,则由知识产权法院审理。
Continue Reading 中国知识产权法院大门即将开启

作者:何薇 陈军 金杜律师事务所知识产权

作为争议解决方式之一的仲裁,由于仲裁机构/仲裁庭的中立性、仲裁当事人的自主性和仲裁裁决依据《纽约公约》[1]几乎可全球执行等优势,正越来越广泛地为当事人所接受和选用。但是,当发生合同争议,特别是出现违约与侵权[2]相竞合的情形时,出于各种目的考虑,有的当事人又希望能突破仲裁协议的约束,通过提起侵权之诉寻求法院的救济。司法实践中,当事人的这种趋利做法引发了一个新的法律问题,仲裁协议能在多大程度上约束当事人,当事人选择侵权案由是否可以突破仲裁协议的约束。这个法律问题又具体衍生为:存在有效仲裁协议的前提下,(1)因合同产生的侵权纠纷是否可以通过仲裁解决;(2)如可以,侵权纠纷是否必须通过仲裁解决;以及(3)仲裁协议对共同侵权纠纷有无约束力。我们通过本文将分析探究这些衍生问题。

侵权纠纷可否通过仲裁解决

如果侵权纠纷只能通过诉讼解决,则问题的答案就变得非常简单,当事人提起侵权之诉不受仲裁协议的约束。但是,侵权纠纷是否只能通过诉讼解决呢?我国仲裁法在规定仲裁的适用范围时,把当事人之间发生的合同和其他财产权益纠纷都纳入了可仲裁的范围,但明确排除了婚姻、收养、监护、扶养、继承纠纷、以及依法应当由行政机关处理的行政争议。可见,违约或侵权,并不是判断纠纷可否仲裁的标准,我国仲裁法也没有限制通过仲裁解决侵权纠纷。
Continue Reading 侵权纠纷可否突破仲裁协议的约束

作者:瞿淼 金杜律师事务所IP诉讼部

2014年4月8日,上海国际仲裁中心正式发布《中国(上海)自由贸易试验区仲裁规则》(以下简称“自贸区规则”)。该规则在现行的法律框架和仲裁实践基础上进行了多处大胆尝试和革新,是一部具有重要创新意义的仲裁规则。该规则将于5月1日生效。本文着重探讨该规则对知识产权类争议的影响。

自贸区规则的创新点包括:(一)临时措施制度的规定;(二)仲裁员开放名册的规定;(三)案件合并审理的规定;(四)案外人加入仲裁的规定(包括仲裁协议其它方或甚至非仲裁协议方);(五)关于证据制度的规定;(六)关于调解既可由仲裁庭主持也可由独立的调解员主持的规定;(七)对友好仲裁制度的引入;(八)小额争议程序的引入。与知识产权争议最为相关的创新制度设计体现在上述第(一)、(五)及(八)。详述如下:
Continue Reading 自贸区仲裁:知识产权争议的新选择——评上海自贸区仲裁规则对知识产权类争议解决的应用

By Mia Qu King&Wood Mallesons’ IP Litigation Group

On April 8th, 2014, the Shanghai International Arbitration Center officially issued the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Arbitration Rules (the “FTZ Rules”). The FTZ Rules, which brings a lot of bold attempts and innovation based on the present legal frame and arbitration practice, is of important innovative significance. The FTZ Rules will enter into force on 1st May. This article will focus on the influence that the FTZ Rules will impose on IP disputes.

The innovative aspects of the FTZ Rules include: (1) the provisions regarding the interim measures; (2) the provision about the open panel of arbitrators; (3) the provision of combined trial of certain cases; (4) the provision of third party’s participation in the arbitration (including other parties of the arbitration agreement or even non-parties of the arbitration agreement); (5) the provision of evidence rules; (6) the provision that mediation may be conducted both by an arbitral tribunal or by an independent mediator; (7) introducing a friendly arbitration system; and (8) introducing procedures for disputes with small claims. The innovative arrangements which are most relevant to IP disputes are reflected in the above (1)、(5) and (8), which will be illustrated in detail as follows:
Continue Reading Arbitration in the Pilot Free Trade Zone: The New Alternative for IP Disputes——Comments on the Application of the Pilot Free Trade Zone Arbitration Rules in IP Dispute Resolution

作者:瞿淼 金杜律师事务所知识产权

近期,“互联网思维”一词受到热炒追捧,各行各业都在学习、研究和反思“互联网思维”究竟何为,以及对自己产业的影响,从而找到自己的“台风口”。尤其是众多饱受冲击的传统行业(包括律师行业),对于互联网对于本行业产生的影响是改善或是颠覆,如何应对,众说纷纭。本文拟对此发表拙见。

互联网的本质是什么?

要真正透视互联网,找到互联网思维在法律行业的映射,我们不得不回过头思考互联网的本质是什么?
Continue Reading 法律服务业的互联网思维

作者:丁宪杰 金杜律师事务所商标

根据世界知识产权组织(WIPO)2013年的统计资料(《2013 World Intellectual Property Indicators》,数据截止于2012年底),近十多年以来,中国商标注册申请量急速增长、远超其它发达国家和发展中国家。下面的图表一是WIPO统计的五大局的商标申请数量变化情况,中国自2002年之后商标申请数量几乎以超过60度的斜率剧增,近几年甚至发展到近乎垂直。
Continue Reading 非驰名的商标应对他人恶意抢注的可依法律及操作

作者:何薇 王亚西 金杜律师事务所IP诉讼

随着我国跨境技术贸易的活跃发展,与知识产权有关的涉外合同纠纷也日益增多。由于仲裁具有私密性和可以跨境执行的特点,许多从事国际商事活动的当事人倾向于选择仲裁作为争端解决方式。实践中,有大量的涉外技术合同都订立有仲裁条款,当事人约定将与合同有关的知识产权争议提交仲裁解决。知识产权仲裁中,常见的纠纷有被许可方超出许可范围使用、被许可方披露或允许第三人使用许可方的技术等。知识产权作为无形财产,其权能体现为对构成权利客体的技术或商业资源的专有使用权,因此对权利人而言,限制他人的非法使用是实现其权利的必要内容。在这个意义上,禁令在知识产权案件中具有十分重要的作用。相关知识产权法已经确立了“诉前禁令”和“诉中禁令”制度,在诉讼前及诉讼中以禁令的形式为权利人提供临时救济措施,以避免损失的发生或扩大。但在知识产权仲裁中,由于仲裁法律对禁令缺少明确规定,并且仲裁庭不具有作出禁令的权力,使得仲裁当事人难以获得禁令的救济,其权利不能得到充分的保障。本文将就仲裁中适用禁令的法律依据及面临的问题进行探讨,希望抛砖引玉,与各位同仁商榷。
Continue Reading 禁令在知识产权仲裁中的适用问题

By He Wei and Wang Yaxi  King & Wood Mallesons’ IP Litigation Group

Introduction

As China’s cross-border technology trade develops, the number of disputes arising from international Intellectual Property contracts gradually increases. Many parties involved in international business prefer arbitration as their dispute resolution mechanism, because arbitration is confidential and its decisions can be enforced in different jurisdictions. Loads of international technology license agreements contain arbitration provisions whereby the parties agree on how to settle IP related disputes. IP disputes that will be arbitrated usually include: whether the licensee’s use exceeds the licensed scope; issues concerning the licensee’s disclosure of the licensor’s technology; and the licensee’s unauthorized sub-license of the licensor’s technology. The value of an IP right, as an intangible property right, lies in a right owner’s exclusive right to use the technology or business resources which constitute the subject matter of the right. Therefore it is essential for a right owner to maintain his IP right by prohibiting unauthorized use by others. Accordingly the use of injunctions plays a vital role in IP cases. China’s IP legislation now provides pre-action and interlocutory injunctions to give right owners provisional remedies, in the form of injunctions before and during the trial. In this way an owner can stop damage from occurring or escalating.
Continue Reading Applications for Injunctive Orders in IP Arbitration