Intellectual Property

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作者：孙明飞 金杜律师事务所争议解决组，广州办公室

中国法院极少受理计算机用户操作界面著作权纠纷案件，深圳市普联技术有限公司诉深圳市吉祥腾达科技有限公司、张亚波侵犯计算机用户操作界面著作权纠纷上诉案，对于同类案件的处理有着重要的参考价值。计算机用户操作界面是否属著作权法中所称的作品，如何界定作品的独创性？这些问题在司法实践中属于新生事物，几乎没有太多经验可以借鉴，研究版权的专家学者甚至计算机领域的专家对此也分歧很大。Continue Reading 侵犯计算机用户操作界面著作权纠纷案评析

By Zeng Xianwu King & Wood’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Group

Since the reform and opening-up policy was introduced in 1978, especially in the past ten (10) years, the People’s Republic of China (the "PRC" or "China") has undergone significant changes.  China is a growth engine for the worldwide economy, fueling global expansion via higher output and trading relationships with other nations as well as greater contributions from domestic consumption.  Over last nine (9) months of 2011, China has already attracted contractual inbound foreign direct investment of USD177.8 billion.  Notwithstanding China’s status as one of the world’s largest economies, and the massive amounts of foreign money invested in China, the basic laws and rules in China governing foreign investment seems mysterious for those who want to invest in China or are accustomed to laws of their countries.Continue Reading Overview of Doing Business in China

By King & Wood’s Trademark Group

Dissatisfied with the trademark registration of "BRITNEY 布兰妮 (BRITNEY in Chinese)" by a third party in China, the famous star singer Britney Spears filed suit against the China Trademark Review and Adjudication Board (TRAB) before the Beijing First Intermediate People’s Court, requesting the Court to rescind the TRAB’s decision on maintaining the registration of the mark "布兰妮BRITNEY".

The third party, Shenzhen Wanfuda Trading Co., Ltd. ("Wanfuda") filed an application for registration of the mark "BRITNEY 布兰妮 (BRITNEY in Chinese)" in August of 2001. The mark was granted registration on "clocks; watches; etc." in class 14 on January 28, 2004 by the China Trademark Office (CTMO) under Reg. No. 2010626. Ms. Spears filed an application for cancellation against the said mark with the TRAB on October 8, 2005 based on her name rights. After examination, the TRAB maintained the registration of the disputed mark. Ms. Spears was dissatisfied with the TRAB’s decision and therefore filed suit with the Court against the TRAB’s decision.Continue Reading Dispute of Name Rights: Pop Singer Britney Spears Sues TRAB

作者：金杜律师事务所商标组

因不满自己名字在中国被他人注册为商标，国际流行乐坛著名女歌星布兰妮将中国工商总局商标评审委员会（简称商评委）起诉至北京市第一中级人民法院，请求法院撤销商评委准予注册的裁定。2012年1月5日，北京市一中院判决驳回了布兰妮的诉讼请求。

2001年8月，深圳市万富达贸易有限公司（以下简称“万富达”）向中国商标局申请注册“布兰妮BRITNEY”商标。2004年1月28日，该商标被核准注册于14类的“钟、表”等商品上，注册号为2010626。2005年10月8日，布兰妮向商评委提出申请，以其姓名权为由要求商评委撤销前述注册商标。商评委经过审理裁定维持该商标的注册。布兰妮不服，将商评委告到法院，提起行政诉讼。Continue Reading 姓名权之争:”小甜甜”布兰妮状告中国商评委

By Xu Jing King & Wood’s IP Litigation Group

Overview

On April 20, 2011, the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China (the “SPC”) promulgated the Annual Report on Intellectual Property Cases (2010) (the “Annual Report”), which comprises the SPC’s 43 pieces of brief comments on 36 IP cases adjudicated by the same court in 2010. Based upon the nature of the disputes, the Annual Report is categorized into seven main categories, including: (1) Patent Cases, (2) Copyright Cases, (3) Trademark Cases, (4) Unfair Competition Cases, (5) IP Related Contract Cases, (6) IP Infringement Liability, and (7) IP Litigation Evidence and Procedures.Continue Reading IP Report: Another Year Wiser

作者：徐静 金杜律师事务所知识产权诉讼组

概述

2011年4月20日，最高人民法院发布了《知识产权案件年度报告（2010）》（“年度报告”），年度报告中，最高人民法院对2010年36个已有最终结论性意见的案件作出了43条简短评析。根据知识产权争议的性质，年度报告分成了七个主要部分：（1）专利案件；（2）著作权案件；（3）商标案件；（4）不正当竞争案件；（5）知识产权合同案件；（6）知识产权侵权责任承担；（7）知识产权诉讼证据与程序。Continue Reading 《最高人民法院知识产权案件年度报告（2010）》评析

By King & Wood’s Trademark Group

Whether revocation of the certificate of incorporation will result in deprivation of the capacity of trademark owners as well as the trademark rights depends on the nature of the trademark owners.

The term "trademark owners" refer to any individuals, legal entities or other organizations that enjoy trademark rights under the law.  Trademark owners include original owners and their successors.  According to Article 9 of the amended PRC Trademark Law, the eligible trademark applicants are defined as enterprises, institutions, social organizations, privately or individually-owned businesses, individual partnerships, foreign individuals and foreign enterprises.Continue Reading Can Trademark Right Still Exist When a Certificate of Incorporation Is Revoked?

作者：金杜律师事务所商标组

权利人营业执照被吊销是否会导致商标权利人主体资格和商标权利的丧失，这取决于商标权利人的性质。

“商标权利人”，也就是商标权的所有人，是指依法享有商标权利的任何自然人、法人和其他组织。商标权利人包括最初权利人和继受权利人。经过对《商标法》的数次修改，目前在《商标法》第9条中规定的商标申请人为企事业单位、社会团体、个体工商户、个人合伙、外国人和外国企业。Continue Reading 营业执照被吊销，商标权利还存在么？

By King & Wood’s Trademark Group

One reader puts forward some questions regarding tort liability of the on-line BBS owners:

I am interested in the court’s decision in Wang Hai Yang case but do not read Chinese. I note that the case has been appealed and want to know the court’s decision particularly on the tort liability law and the right to reputation and privacy. Since the Tort Liability Law came into effect, I want to know if there had been any changes to the court’s interpretation to right to privacy and right to reputation after Wang Fei case.

For your questions, please see below our reply:Continue Reading Comments to ‘Tort Law Provides Supplementary Protection to IP Rights’

By King & Wood’s Trademark Group

A "geographic indication" is a sign used on a product that indicates a specific geographical origin and that the product possesses qualities or a reputation or other features that are associated with that place of origin. That is, the sign represents the geographical origin of the goods in a certain territory or area or region within the territory.  The specific quality, reputation or other features of the goods are primarily related to the place of origin.  Even if goods fall within the same category, they share a different quality and reputation due to the natural or cultural factors of different geographical origins.

The geographic indication is considered one of the most important symbols that distinguishes between goods of different origins.  The protection of geographic indications can prompt economic development in a specific area or a country, and can also protect the legal interest of the manufacturer and consumers of the goods marked with the geographic indications.  As such, the protection of geographic indications needs to be consolidated.Continue Reading Protecting Foreign Geographic Indications in China