State Council Issues ‘2023 Outline for Building an Intellectual Powerhouse and the Implementation and Promotion Plan for the 14th Five-Year Plan’
Release Date: 27 July 2023
The Inter-Ministerial Joint Conference Office of the State Council for the Implementation of National Intellectual Property Strategy has issued a ‘2023 Outline for Building an Intellectual Powerhouse and the Implementation and Promotion Plan for the 14th Five-Year Plan’ (the Plan). The Plan sets out seven key tasks for 2023: improving the intellectual property system; strengthening intellectual property protection; enhancing the operation mechanism of the intellectual property market; improving the quality of public intellectual property services; creating a favourable cultural and social environment for intellectual property innovation; actively participating in global intellectual property governance; and strengthening organizational security. The Plan includes 135 specific measures.
Taking the improvement of the intellectual property system as an example, the Plan calls for improving intellectual property laws, regulations, and rules; reforming and improving major policies on intellectual property; and refining intellectual property rules in emerging and specific areas. It specifically proposes measures such as completing the amendment of relevant laws and regulations, including Regulations for the Implementation of the Patent Law of the People’s Republic of China; implementing the establishment of first-class patent and trademark examination institutions; and accelerating the establishment of intellectual property protection rules for data.
In terms of strengthening intellectual property protection, the Plan emphasizes the need to strengthen judicial protection of intellectual property rights; enhance administrative protection of intellectual property rights; and improve the collaborative protection framework. It puts forward specific measures such as advancing reform of the national-level trial mechanism for intellectual property appeal cases; strengthening professional guidance for trademark and patent enforcement; and constructing national intellectual property protection demonstration zones with high standards.
Source: The State Council of the People’s Republic of China
https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202308/content_6898128.htm
国务院印发《2023知识产权强国建设纲要和 “十四五”规划实施推进计划》
发文日期：2023-07-27
国务院知识产权战略实施工作部际联席会议办公室印发《2023知识产权强国建设纲要和“十四五”规划实施推进计划》（《计划》）。《计划》提出了7大类2023年度重点工作任务，分别是：完善知识产权制度、强化知识产权保护、完善知识产权市场运行机制、提高知识产权公共服务水平、营造良好的知识产权人文社会环境、深度参与全球知识产权治理，以及加强组织保障。在此基础上，《计划》还提出了135项具体举措。以完善知识产权制度为例，《计划》要求完善知识产权法律法规规章、改革完善知识产权重大政策、完善新兴领域和特定领域知识产权规则，具体提出推动相关法律法规如《中华人民共和国专利法实施细则》的修改，实施一流专利商标审查机构建设工程，加快数据知识产权保护规则构建等措施。在强化知识产权保护方面，《计划》则要求加强知识产权司法保护、强化知识产权行政保护、健全知识产权协同保护格局，具体提出推进深化国家层面知识产权案件上诉审理机制改革，强化商标专利执法专业指导，高标准建设国家知识产权保护示范区等措施。
资料来源：国务院
新闻链接：https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202308/content_6898128.htm
The Central Committee of the CPC and the State Council Jointly Released ‘Guidelines on Promoting the Development and Growth of the Private Economy’
Release Date: 19 July 2023
The jointly released guidelines aim generally to improve conditions in the private sector and promote the growth and development of the private economy. The fourth part of the Opinions emphasizes the need to strengthen the rule of law to protect the interests of private businesses to assist in the development and growth of the private economy. Article 12 in this fourth part sets out the objective of “Continuously Improving the Intellectual Property Protection System,” which includes the following specific requirements:
Source: The State Council of the People’s Republic of China
https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/202307/content_6893055.htm
国务院印发《中共中央 国务院关于促进民营经济发展壮大的意见》
发文日期：2023-07-19
该《意见》第四部分强调，为促进民营经济发展壮大，应强化民营经济发展的法治保障。《意见》第十二条对“持续完善知识产权保护体系”的工作方向作出要求，具体包括：加大对民营中小微企业原始创新保护力度；严格落实知识产权侵权惩罚性赔偿、行为保全等制度；建立知识产权侵权和行政非诉执行快速处理机制，健全知识产权法院跨区域管辖制度；研究完善商业改进、文化创意等创新成果的知识产权保护办法，严厉打击侵犯商业秘密、仿冒混淆等不正当竞争行为和恶意抢注商标等违法行为；加大对侵犯知识产权违法犯罪行为的刑事打击力度；完善海外知识产权纠纷应对指导机制。
资料来源：国务院
新闻链接：https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/202307/content_6893055.htm
China’s Cyberspace Administration (CAC) and Six Other Departments Jointly Issue Interim Measures for the Management of Generative Artificial Intelligence Services
Release Date: 13 July 2023
The Interim Measures for the Management of Generative Artificial Intelligence Services (the Measures), which regulate the provision of artificial intelligence generated content (AIGC) services, include compliance requirements of AIGC technology and its training data, the accountability of AIGC service providers, as well as rules for manual data labelling, complaints handling mechanisms, and legal consequences.
According to the Measures, all activities related to the provision, use, and training of AIGC must comply with laws and regulations, respect social morality and ethics, and not infringe upon other’s intellectual property rights and trade secrets or engage in any monopolistic or unfair competition acts. In addition, it also must not infringe upon other’s legitimate rights and interests such as personal information and privacy. In terms of liability, the Measures clarify that AIGC service providers who process personal information bear the same responsibilities as network information content producers and personal information processors. If an AIGC service provider finds that users are misusing AIGC, it shall take appropriate measures such as sending warnings, imposing restrictions on the user’s functions, suspending or terminating its services, and reporting the misuse to the competent authorities. Providers who violate the Measures may face administrative penalties or bear criminal liability.
Source: The Cyberspace Administration of China
http://www.cac.gov.cn/2023-07/13/c_1690898326795531.htm
国家网信办等七部门联合发布《生成式人工智能服务管理暂行办法》
发文日期：2023-07-13
该《暂行办法》规定了生成式人工智能（AIGC）的一系列重要事项，包括AIGC及其训练数据的合法性要求，AIGC提供者的主体责任，以及人工标注规则、投诉处理机制、法律后果等。
根据《暂行办法》规定，AIGC的提供、使用及数据训练等活动，均应符合法律法规，尊重公序良俗，不得侵犯知识产权、商业秘密及实行不正当竞争，不得侵犯个人信息、隐私等合法权益。在主体责任方面，《暂行办法》明确AIGC提供者承担网络信息内容生产者责任，以及承担个人信息处理者责任。提供者发现使用者利用AIGC从事违法活动的，应采取警示、限制功能、暂停或者终止向其提供服务等处置措施，并向主管部门报告。提供者违反《暂行办法》规定的，可能面临行政处罚或者被追究刑事责任的法律后果。
资料来源：中华人民共和国国家互联网信息办公室 2023-07-13
新闻链接：http://www.cac.gov.cn/2023-07/13/c_1690898326795531.htm
JDB Group Ordered to Pay Compensation of 317 Million Yuan (Approx. US$ 44 Million) for Infringement of WongLoKat Trademark
Date: 10 July 2023
Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Corporation is the owner of the registered trademark ‘WongLoKat’. In 1995, Hongdao Group (HK), the parent company of Jiaduobao (JDB) Group, obtained an exclusive licence to use the ‘WongLoKat’ trademark and invested in extensive formula research and advertising, which increased the trademark’s value to over 100 billion yuan (approx. US$ 14 billion). The licence was originally set to expire in 2010, but subsequently extended by two supplementary agreements to 2023. In 2012, these supplementary agreements were held to be invalid by China’s International Economic and Trader Arbitration Commission. The Hongdao Group then rebranded its herbal tea as ‘Jiaduobao’ and in 2014, Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Corporation filed a trademark infringement action against six JDB companies, including JDB (China) Beverage Co., Ltd., seeking compensation of 2.93 billion yuan (approx. US$ 405 million) for economic loss caused by the infringement of its registered ‘WongLoKat’ trademark for the period 2010 to 2012. This initiated a legal battle between Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Corporation and JDB Group that has lasted nearly a decade.
In 2018, the Guangdong High People’s Court (Guangdong High Court) ruled at first instance that the JDB Group had infringed and should pay compensation of 1.44 billion yuan (approx. US$ 199 million) to Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Corporation. Both parties appealed to the Supreme People’s Court (the SPC). On 17 June 2019, the SPC returned the case to the Guangdong High Court for retrial, citing significant deficiencies in the main evidence provided by Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Corporation. On 10 July 2023, the result of the retrial was announced, with the Guangdong High Court confirming that the six JDB companies had jointly infringed Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Corporation’s exclusive rights to use the ‘WongLoKat’ trademark and ordering the JDB Group to pay compensation of 317 million yuan (approx. US$ 44 million). The JDB Group has expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment and intends to appeal to the SPC.
Source: The Official Website of JDB Group
https://www.jdbchina.com/cn/new/jdb_news.asp?id=1763
加多宝公司使用“王老吉”商标，被判赔3.17亿元
日期：2023-07-10
广药集团是“王老吉”注册商标的所有者。1995年，加多宝公司的母公司香港鸿道集团取得了王老吉商标的使用权，并通过配方研究、广告投入使得王老吉的商标价值超过千亿。2012年，广药集团希望收回“王老吉”商标使用权，鸿道集团则重新打造了自己的凉茶品牌加多宝。2014年，广药集团对加多宝（中国）饮料有限公司等六家加多宝公司提起诉讼，要求其赔偿2010年至2012年间因侵犯其“王老吉”注册商标专用权造成的经济损失29.3亿元，由此引发了广药集团与加多宝公司之间近十年的诉讼。
2018年，广东省高级人民法院（“广东高院”）一审判决加多宝公司赔偿广药集团14.4亿元。经双方上诉，2019年6月17日，最高人民法院以广药集团提供的主要证据存在重大缺陷为由，将案件发回广东高院重审。2023年7月10日，双方公告了重审结果，广东高院认定六家被告的加多宝公司构成共同侵权，判决加多宝公司赔偿广药集团3.17亿元。加多宝公司表示不服此判决结果，并将向最高人民法院提起上诉。
资料来源：加多宝官方网站 2023-07-10