The Intellectual Property Court of SPC Releases Annual Report for the Year 2023
Date: 23 February 2024
According to the Report, the number of cases accepted and concluded by the Intellectual Property Court of the SPC in 2023 continued to rise. A total of 7,776 cases involving technology-related intellectual property and monopoly were accepted (including 5,062 new cases and 2,714 ongoing cases), and a total of 4,562 cases were concluded, resulting in a disposition rate of 90.1%. Compared to 2022, the number of cases accepted increased by 25.8% (with new cases increasing by 14.9% and concluded cases increasing by 31.5%).
During the same period, the number of infringement cases also continued to increase, with 3,222 new second-instance civil cases recorded, representing a 9.0% year-on-year increase. Infringement disputes relating to invention patents, utility models, new plant varieties, technical secrets, and computer software have been increasing year by year. There were 1,277 new administrative second-instance cases, showing a 44.0% year-on-year growth, with an increase in administrative disputes concerning patent application rejection review and patent invalidation.
Additionally, cases involving emerging industries of strategic importance have been on the rise, encompassing information technology, biotechnology, new energy, new materials, high-end equipment, alternative fuel vehicles, and green environmental protection. There were 1,582 cases related to emerging industries of strategic importance, accounting for 31.3% of all new cases, an increase of 244 cases compared to 2022. In addition to reaching record highs in terms of case acceptance and conclusion, the rate of judgment reversal for second-instance civil cases in the Intellectual Property Court of SPC was 25.7%. Excluding cases where the change of validity of the rights, uniform judgment standards for mass rights protection cases, and other factors led to judgment reversal, the actual reversal rate was 11.2%, a year-on-year increase of 1.7%. Meanwhile, the rate of remanding civil second-instance cases for retrial continued to decline, dropping from 3.4% in 2022 to 0.3% in 2023.
Source: The SPC
https://ipc.court.gov.cn/zh-cn/news/view-2789.html
最高人民法院知识产权法庭发布2023年度报告
日期：2024年2月23日
《报告》显示，2023年知产法庭受理的案件收结案量整体持续上升，共受理技术类知识产权和垄断案件7776件（其中新收5062件、旧存2714件），审结4562件，结收比为90.1%，与2022年相比，受案量增长25.8%（其中新收案件增长量14.9%，结案量增长31.5%）。同时，侵权案件持续增长，新收民事二审实体案件3222件，同比增长9.0%，涉及发明专利、实用新型专利、植物新品种、技术秘密、计算机软件的侵权纠纷均逐年递增。新收行政二审实体案件量为1277件，同比增长44.0%，其中专利申请驳回复审行政纠纷、专利无效行政纠纷案件数均同比增长。
此外，涉战略性新兴产业案件持续增长，涉及信息技术、生物技术、新能源、新材料、高端装备、新能源汽车、绿色环保等战略性新兴产业案件1582件，占全部新收案件的31.3%，较2022年增加244件。除受案量、结案量均创下新高外，知产法庭民事二审实体案件改判率为25.7%，除去因权利效力变化、批量维权案件统一裁判标准等原因改判的案件后，改判率为11.2%，同比上升1.7%。同时，民事二审实体案件发回重审率持续下降，较2022年的3.4%下降至2023年的0.3%。
资料来源：最高人民法院
新闻链接：https://ipc.court.gov.cn/zh-cn/news/view-2789.html
The SPP Jointly Supervised and Handled Three Batches of 150 Major Piracy Cases in 2023
Date: 28 February 2024
According to official statistics, in the first 11 months of 2023, procuratorial organs nationwide accepted over 2,500 copyright infringement cases, encompassing both traditional and emerging areas involving new technologies and forms. Concurrently, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP), together with the National Copyright Administration and other departments, launched three batches of special supervision over 150 major cases of infringement and piracy. For instance, the SPP provided guidance to the procuratorial organs in Shanxi Province in handling the first-ever nationwide case of copyright infringement related to a 'Murder mystery game,' cracking down on emerging cultural sectors involved in infringement and piracy. Additionally, administrative agencies were urged to strengthen supervision over the 'Murder mystery game' industry through means such as issuing prosecutorial recommendations.
Procuratorial organs have placed particular emphasis on malicious litigation in the fields of musical works, audiovisual works, photography, and cultural and creative products. For example, the SPP supervised and organized the handling of a vexatious litigation case involving a cultural company's infringement of music and television copyright, which involved thousands of infringement lawsuits across nine provinces. The aim was to simultaneously pursue criminal punishment and civil supervision. The procuratorial organs in Beijing Municipality established a legal supervision model to combat malicious litigation, integrating judicial judgments, administrative rulings, and intellectual property public opinion data. Through big data analysis, they issued prosecutorial recommendations for retrial in 77 civil cases involving a picture company suspected of engaging in malicious litigation.
Source: The SPP
https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/zdgz/202402/t20240228_645139.shtml
最高检：2023年联合挂牌督办3批150件重大侵权盗版案
日期：2024年2月28日
据统计，2023年前11个月，全国检察机关共受理审查起诉侵犯著作权犯罪2500余人，案件类型包括传统领域案件与新技术新业态新领域案件。与此同时，最高检会同国家版权局等部门，联合挂牌督办3批150件重大侵权盗版案件。例如，最高检指导山西检察机关办理的全国首例涉“剧本杀”侵犯著作权犯罪案件，依法打击新兴文化领域侵权盗版犯罪，并通过制发检察建议等方式督促行政机关加强对“剧本杀”行业监管。
检察机关重点关注音乐作品、视听作品、摄影作品与文创产品等领域知识产权恶意诉讼专项工作。例如，最高检挂牌督办、组织办理某文化公司侵犯音乐电视著作权虚假诉讼案，涉及9省数千起侵权诉讼，一体推进刑事惩治与民事监督。北京检察机关创建惩治恶意诉讼法律监督模型，综合运用司法裁判、行政裁决、知产舆情等数据，通过大数据分析，对某图片公司涉嫌恶意诉讼的77个图片的民事案件提出再审检察建议。
资料来源：最高人民检察院
新闻链接：https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/zdgz/202402/t20240228_645139.shtml
National Copyright Administration Reports National Copyright Registration Status for the Year 2023
Date: 20 February 2024
According to the report, the total number of copyright registrations nationwide reached 8.923901 million in 2023, an increase of 40.46% compared to the previous year. Among them, there were 6.428277 million registrations for copyright works, marking a 42.30% year-on-year increase. The registered copyright works included fine arts, photography, literary works, and audiovisual works. Additionally, there were 2.495213 million registrations for computer software copyrights, representing a 35.95% year-on-year increase. The provinces (and municipalities) with the highest number of registrations were Guangdong, Beijing, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Sichuan, Shandong, Hubei, Anhui, and Shaanxi. In terms of copyright pledge registrations, there were 411 registrations nationwide in 2023, reflecting a 17.43% increase compared to 2022. For computer software copyright pledge registrations, there were 361 registrations, indicating a 28.01% increase.
Source: The National Copyright Administration
https://www.ncac.gov.cn/chinacopyright/contents/12228/358891.shtml
国家版权局公布2023年全国著作权登记情况
日期：2024年2月20日
根据通报，2023年全国著作权登记总量达892.3901万件，同比增长40.46%。其中，作品著作权登记642.8277万件，同比增长42.30%，登记作品类型依次为美术作品、摄影作品、文字作品、影视作品等；计算机软件著作权登记249.5213万件，同比增长35.95%，登记量数量较多的省（市）依次为：广东、北京、江苏、浙江、上海、四川、山东、湖北、安徽、陕西。在著作权质权登记方面，2023年全国著作权质权登记411件，同比增长17.43%，计算机软件著作权质权登记361件，同比增长28.01%。
资料来源：国家版权局
新闻链接：https://www.ncac.gov.cn/chinacopyright/contents/12228/358891.shtml
The Guangzhou Internet Court Concludes First Instance Hearing of the First Copyright Infringement Case Involving a Generative Artificial Intelligence Platform
Date: 26 February 2024
The Plaintiff, Shanghai Character License Administrative Co., Ltd. (SCLA), signed a Licensing Certificate with Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., the copyright owner of the Ultraman works, obtaining exclusive rights to use and protect the Ultraman series images. It alleged that the Defendant, an AI company, had, without its authorization, generated, and reproduced on its Tab website, images that are substantially similar to the Plaintiff’s Ultraman images, thereby infringing the Plaintiff's rights to reproduce, adapt, and disseminate the involved Ultraman images via the internet. The Defendant’s images had been created using artificial intelligence. The Plaintiff requested the Guangzhou Internet Court to order the Defendant to immediately cease the infringement and compensate the Plaintiff for economic loss and reasonable litigation costs totaling 300,000 yuan (approx. US$ 41,678).
The Guangzhou Internet Court found that the Ultraman images generated by the Tab website partially or completely copied the original artistic expression of the 'Ultraman' image, and that the Defendant had infringed the Plaintiff's reproduction right by copying the Ultraman works without permission. Additionally, the generated images retained the original expression of the 'Ultraman Tiga' work in part and created new features based on it, which constituted making an adaptation of the works. This infringed the Plaintiff's adaptation right.
It is worth mentioning that when determining the type of liability the Defendant should bear, the Guangzhou Internet Court referred to the Interim Measures for the Management of Generative Artificial Intelligence Services implemented on 15 August 2023, and held that the Defendant was a provider of generative AI services and, as such, should take specific technical measures to avoid generating images that are substantially similar to copyrighted works. Furthermore, the Guangzhou Internet Court considered that the Defendant had failed to fulfill its reasonable care obligations, such as establishing an infringement complaint reporting mechanism, warning the users of potential risks, and clearly labeling the AI-generated content. Ultimately, the Guangzhou Internet Court ruled that the Defendant should immediately introduce technical measures to prevent the generation of and compensate the infringing images while users are using its services normally. It awarded compensation for economic losses and reasonable legal fees totaling 10,000 yuan (approx. US$ 1,389).
Source: The Guangzhou Internet Court
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/tESibyYMTerEz6_Uxtlnxw
广州互联网法院一审审结全国首例生成式人工智能平台侵犯著作权案
日期：2024年2月26日
本案原告新创华公司与奥特曼作品的著作权人圆谷制作株式会社签订了《授权证明》，获得了奥特曼系列形象的独占使用权和维权权利。原告诉称，被告某人工智能公司未经原告授权，在其运营的Tab网站上，通过人工智能生成了与原告享有著作权的奥特曼形象实质性相似的图片，侵犯了原告对涉案奥特曼形象的复制权、改编权和信息网络传播权，请求法院判令被告立即停止侵权行为，并赔偿原告经济损失及维权合理费用共30万元。
广州互联网法院经审理认为，由Tab网站生成的案涉奥特曼图片，部分或完全复制了“奥特曼”这一美术形象的独创性表达，被告未经许可复制案涉奥特曼作品，侵犯了原告对涉案奥特曼形象的复制权。此外，案涉生成图片部分保留了“迪迦奥特曼复合型”作品的独创性表达，并在该基础上形成了新的特征，被告该行为构成对案涉作品的改编，侵犯了原告对涉案作品的改编权。
值得一提的是，广州互联网法院在认定被告应承担何种侵权责任时，引用了自2023年8月15日起施行的《生成式人工智能服务管理暂行办法》，认定被告属于生成式人工智能服务提供者，应当采取一定技术措施以避免生成与受著作权保护作品构成实质性相似的图片。此外，广州互联网法院认为，被告未能尽到包括设立侵权投诉举报机制、提示潜在风险、对生成内容进行显著标识等合理注意义务，主观上存在过错。最终，广州互联网法院一审判决被告立即采取技术措施，防止用户正常使用其服务时生成侵犯原告案涉著作权的图片，并赔偿原告经济损失及维权合理费用共1万元。
资料来源：广州互联网法院