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