On August 11, 2025 through August 18, 2025, China’s Reexamination and Invalidation Review Department of the Patent Office of the National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released the Compilation of Key Points of Decisions in Typical Patent Reexamination and Invalidation Cases (2024) (专利复审无效典型案件决定要点汇编(2024)). CNIPA stated that the release was “to focus on explaining the application of law in patent reexamination and invalidation cases and to showcase the latest practices in patent examination in various technical fields.” CNIPA generated the Compilation by …
Beijing Internet Court: Digital Avatars are Works of Art and Protected by Copyright
On August 18, 2025, the Beijing Internet Court announced a decision that the digital avatars are works of art and qualify for copyright protection. Avatars A and B were jointly produced by four entities, including plaintiff Ju XX Company and plaintiff Yuan XX Company. Plaintiff Ju XX Company is the copyright holder, while plaintiff Yuan XX Company is responsible for operations. Avatar A has over 4.4 million followers across various platforms and was named one of the eight hottest events …
Beijing E-Town (Yitang) Sues Applied Materials for Trade Secret Theft Requesting 99.99 Million RMB
On August 14, 2025, Beijing E-Town Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd. (北京屹唐半导体科技股份有限公司) announced in a filing with the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) that the Beijing Intellectual Property Court has accepted its complaint against Applied Materials (AMAT) for trade secret infringement and appropriating patent application rights. E-Town is requesting damages of 99.99 million RMB. E-Town alleges that AMAT hired two of its subsidiary’s employees and then filed a patent application disclosing its trade secrets with the Chinese National Intellectual Property Administration.
China’s Supreme People’s Court Releases the Guiding Opinions on Implementing the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Promoting the Private Economy
On August 8, 2025, China’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) released the Guiding Opinions on Implementing the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Promoting the Private Economy (关于贯彻落实〈中华人民共和国民营经济促进法〉的指导意见). Per the SPC, “the Guiding Opinions propose specific measures in five sections to judicially safeguard the development and growth of the private economy. These measures aim to address the challenges faced by the private economy and provide stronger legal safeguards for its healthy growth.” As explained by the SPC, key measures …