Articles

Landmark CNIPA case sets Rules for Software Simulation in Optics Patents

We represented Jiangsu Powertip Image Corp. (“Powertip”) in successfully invalidating an optics patent owned by Ability Opto-Electronics Technology Co., Ltd. (“AOET”) before the China National Intellectual Property Administration (“CNIPA”). The CNIPA has published this case - Case No. 4W117759, concerning patent ZL201610090398.1 patent (the “’398 Patent”), as a 2025 CNIPA Landmark Case. In this matter, we successfully invalidated all claims of the ’398 Patent. While only one case out of four are made a landmark case, we successfully invalidated all four patents for similar reasons.

Landmark Win Representing Cradfton (PUBG) in Copyright Infringement Case in China

Our team helped secure RMB 5 million award for our client, Krafton Inc., to protect its worldwide popular game, PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS. This result, the first of its kind, demonstrates our deep expertise inenforcing video game IP rights against unauthorized online movies in China. This precedent means unlicensed use of game elements in movies can result in severe penalties. Below please find detailed report for this case. Case Background

Gary Song CV

Does a foreign company have a fair shake in the Chinese court for IP cases?

Foreign parties have prevailed against local parties in IP infringement cases at roughly a 2:1 rate.

Protecting Trade Secrets Duting Employee Departures: Practical Insights from Recent Chinese Court Decisions.

Courts now focus less on formal access and more on whether the employee took information outside the employer’s control, whether confidentiality duties still apply, and whether the right holder can show urgent risk of harm. The 2019 AUCL amendments eased the plaintiff’s burden of proof in trade secret infringment cases involving employee departure, and recent SPC and specialized IP-court decisions show a growing willingness to infer misappropriation from circumstantial evidence, impose punitive damages, and grant interim injunctions where disclosure risk is acute. For employers, the practical playbook is straightforward: preserve logs, devices, and access records; move quickly for conduct-preservation relief; and choose the forum and procedure that best matches the evidence. Civil, administrative, and criminal routes can be used in parallel or sequence, and the new SAMR trade secret rules taking effect on June 1, 2026 give regulators additional tools to search, seize, and stop infringement.

Strategic Paradigms in Chinese Patent Litigation: An Integrated Approach to Court and Administrative Proceedings

In the "Bifurcated System"—the separation of infringement litigation in the People’s Courts from validity proceedings at the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), wining the case depends on five core pillars—strategic planning, judicial interpretation, factual granularity, psychological profiling, and technical specialization.

The CNIPA Fast-Track: Understanding National Major Patent Infringement Adjudication

The National Major Patent Infringement mechanism is effectively a "super-injunction" tool. For pharmaceutical companies or tech giants facing widespread "copycat" manufacturing or participation in national tenders, it is currently the most efficient way to clear the Chinese market in a single stroke.

China's life sciences patent protection system

As China pivots from a manufacturing hub to a global leader in drug innovation, its legal landscape has undergone a tectonic shift. The 2021 Patent Law introduced a suite of sophisticated protections—including patent linkage, term extensions (PTE), and term adjustments (PTA)—that align closely with international standards while maintaining unique Chinese characteristics. Nearly five years into this new era, the practical realities of enforcement have begun to crystallize. Branded pharmaceutical companies and generic manufacturers alike face a complex environment defined by: Forum Selection Dynamics: Why the CNIPA has emerged as the preferred venue for linkage disputes over the Beijing IP Court. The "Global Novelty" Challenge: How strict regulatory requirements for PTE may inadvertently exclude many international innovative drugs. The Major Case Mechanism: A powerful, rapid enforcement tool that offers nationwide injunctions in record time. Biologic Vulnerabilities: The specific gaps in protection that remain for biosimilars compared to chemical drugs. This article provides a critical analysis of recent judicial and administrative precedents, offering pharmaceutical innovators and legal counsel the practical insights needed to safeguard intellectual property in one of the world’s most vital healthcare markets.