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State Council Revises Rules for Implementation of the Patent Law of the People's Republic of China 

Release Date: 21 December 2023 

The revised Rules for Implementation of the Patent Law of the People's Republic of China (the Rules) consists of 13 chapters and 149 articles and came into effect on 20 January 2024. The key points and highlights of the Rules are as follows:  

1. Patent applications.  The Rules expand the provisions concerning the novelty grace period. In addition to first disclosure at ‘academic conferences or technical conferences organized by relevant departments of the State Council or national academic organizations’, the Rules now include first disclosure at ‘academic conferences or technical conferences organized by international organizations recognized by the relevant departments of the State Council.”  They also refine the regulations for international design patent applications. The Hague Agreement came into effect in China on 5 May 2022, and the Rules add a new Chapter 12 to specifically regulate the application requirements for international design patent applications.   

1. Patent examination.  The Rules add a new Article 11, which requires patent applicants to adhere to the principle of good faith and cracks down on irregular patent applications (e.g. applications where the right to apply for a patent has been transferred for improper purposes or there is a false statement of inventor or designer name).  The Rules also add a new Section 2 of Article 56, which introduces a deferred examination system. Previously, after submitting an invention patent application, the applicant was required to request substantive examination within three years. Failure to apply for examination within that period would be deemed withdrawal of the application. The deferred examination system allows applicants defer examination for one, two, or three years enabling them to continue the patent examination process based on the market situation of their products, to avoid the cost burden of unnecessary patent examination activities. 

1. Patent operation.  The Rules refine the open license system of patent exploitation, adding a new Chapter 6, which clarifies the time and content of open license statements and specifies situations where an open license is not permitted.  The Rules also increase the incentive for service invention, raising the statutory reward for invention patents from RMB 3,000 (approx. US$ 418) to RMB 4,000 (approx. US$ 557) in cases where no award method or amount has been specified or stipulated, and for utility model or design patents from RMB 1,000 (approx. US$ 139) to RMB 1,500 (approx. US$ 209) where no award method or amount has been specified or stipulated. 

Source: The State Council of the People’s Republic of China 2023-12-21 

https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/202312/content_6921633.htm  

国务院修订《中华人民共和国专利法实施细则》 

发文日期：2023-12-21 

修订后的《中华人民共和国专利法实施细则》（简称《新实施细则》）共计13章149条，自2024年1月20日起施行，本次修订包含的重点及亮点如下： 

1. 专利申请方面，例如放宽新颖性宽限期的规定，在原“国务院有关主管部门或者全国性学术团体组织召开的学术会议或者技术会议”范围的基础上，进一步包括了“国务院有关主管部门认可的由国际组织召开的学术会议或者技术会议”。再如细化外观设计国际申请的规定，《海牙协定》于2022年5月5日对中国生效，对此《新实施细则》新增第十二章，专门规定了外观设计国际申请的申请要求等。 

1. 在专利审查方面，例如《新实施细则》新增第十一条，要求申请专利应当遵循诚实信用原则打击非正常专利申请行为（如出于不正当目的转让专利申请权，或者虚假变更发明人、设计人的专利）。再如《新实施细则》新增第五十六条第二款，引入延迟审查制度，此前发明专利申请提出后，申请人需在3年内请求实质审查，逾期不申请审查的，将视为撤回。延迟审查制度的确立使得申请人可以根据产品的市场形势决定是否继续专利审查进程，从而避免为不必要的专利审查活动负担成本。 

1. 在专利运用方面，例如细化专利实施的开放许可制度，《新实施细则》新增第六章，明确了开放许可声明提出的时间，应当包括的内容，不得进行开放许可的情形等。再如加大职务发明奖酬力度，《新实施细则》将未约定也未规定奖励方式和数额情况下对发明专利的法定奖金由3000元提高至4000元，对实用新型专利或者外观设计专利的法定奖金由1000元提高至1500元。  

资料来源：中国政府网  2023-12-21 

新闻链接：https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/202312/content_6921633.htm 

Beijing Higher People's Court Releases White Paper on Beijing Courts’ Specialized Trial of Intellectual Property Cases over Three Decades (1993-2023) 

Date: 29 November 2023 

The White Paper issued by the Beijing Higher People’s Court indicates both the number of cases and the range of IP issues that have been dealt with since Beijing courts began conducting specialized IP trials thirty years ago, and the improvements that have been made to the system during that time. 

The Courts have dealt with an expanding range of IP issues, including the first case involving a drug patent linkage dispute and a case involving application rights of the new plant variety of corn ‘Nongda 372’. The amount of punitive damages awarded in civil IP cases involving infringement of copyright, trademarks, trade secrets and other IP rights has gradually increased with compensation amounts in several cases exceeding RMB 10 million (approx. US$ 1,500,000).  The White Paper further indicates that from 1993 to September 2023, the Beijing courts accepted a total of 4624,577 IP cases at first instance, second instance, appeal and retrial, and concluded 598,228 IP cases. Among these, a total of 621,762 new IP cases at first and second instance were accepted, with an average annual growth rate of 21.8%, and 595,520 cases were concluded, with an average annual growth rate of 22.2%. 

Source: Beijing Higher People's Court 2023-11-29 

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/5vhqK2x8fLJSBR8rF_gcfA 

北京市高级人民法院发布《北京法院知识产权专业化审判三十年白皮书（1993-2023）》 

日期：2023-11-29  

自1993年8月5日中国法院率先设立知识产权审判庭以来，北京法院开展知识产权专业化审判已有三十年。北京法院审理的案件具有类型全、新类型案件多、案件数量居全国前列等特点。北京法院审理了首例药品专利链接纠纷、玉米“农大372”植物新品种申请权权属纠纷等案件，侵害著作权、商标权、商业秘密等知识产权民事案件中适用惩罚性赔偿的数量逐步增长，多起案件判赔金额超过1000万元。《白皮书》数据显示，1993年至2023年9月，北京法院共计新收一审、二审、申诉、再审等各类知识产权案件624577件，审结598228件。其中，共计新收一、二审知识产权案件621762件，年均增长率为21.8%；审结595520件，年均增长率为22.2%。 

资料来源：北京市高级人民法院  2023-11-29 

新闻链接：https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/5vhqK2x8fLJSBR8rF_gcfA 

CNIPA Releases the China Intellectual Property Operation Annual Report (2022) 

Date: 28 November 28, 2023 

The Report provides a detailed account of China’s IP operation in 2022. There was an increase in the activity of IP operation in China during the year, and the role of IP in economic development became more pronounced. The number of patent assignments, licenses, pledges, and other operations reached 507,000. The value of patent and trademark financing pledges across the country reached RMB 486.88 billion, maintaining a growth rate of over 40% for three consecutive years. By the end of 2022, IP insurance had provided risk protection exceeding RMB 11 billion for more than 28,000 companies, covering over 46,000 patents, trademarks, geographical indications, and integrated circuit layout designs. A total of 91 IP securitization products were issued on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges, raising actual funds of RMB 21 billion. In addition, more than 3,400 Trademark and Brand Guidance Stations, providing advisory and guidance services in relation to IP, were established nationwide in 2022. 

Source: CNIPA 2023-11-28 

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzA3ODU0NDE4OA==&mid=2653666608&idx=1&sn=b8c0556bd6665c2fb897d2b4868df140&chksm=849e3163b3e9b8750e38ff275e0dfb3ed65cba9ad424cf7b757f71d677fdf25bfd8ba011d4d2&mpshare=1&scene=1&srcid=1201kVT55MDjp8jEYNM0iWwd&sharer_shareinfo=b7354960503b76514cd3827a883d2afc&sharer_shareinfo_first=b7354960503b76514cd3827a883d2afc#rd  

国家知识产权局发布《中国知识产权运营年度报告（2022年）》  

日期：2023-11-28 

《报告》总结了中国2022年知识产权运营情况，《报告》显示在2022年，中国知识产权流转活跃度提升，知识产权对经济发展的作用也更加明显。2022年中国专利转让、许可、质押等运营次数达50.7万次，全国专利商标质押融资金额达到4868.8亿元，连续三年保持40%以上的增速，截至2022年底，知识产权保险累计为超过2.8万家企业的4.6万余件专利、商标、地理标志及集成电路布图设计提供了逾1100亿元风险保障。全国共在沪深证券交易所发行91单知识产权证券化产品，实际募资210亿元。此外，2022年全国新增3400余家商标品牌指导站。 

资料来源：国家知识产权局  2023-11-28 

新闻链接：https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzA3ODU0NDE4OA==&mid=2653666608&idx=1&sn=b8c0556bd6665c2fb897d2b4868df140&chksm=849e3163b3e9b8750e38ff275e0dfb3ed65cba9ad424cf7b757f71d677fdf25bfd8ba011d4d2&mpshare=1&scene=1&srcid=1201kVT55MDjp8jEYNM0iWwd&sharer_shareinfo=b7354960503b76514cd3827a883d2afc&sharer_shareinfo_first=b7354960503b76514cd3827a883d2afc#rd 

Decision of First Intermediate People's Court of Chongqing Municipality in FRAND Royalties Dispute between OPPO and Nokia 

Date: 14 December 2023 

Having failed to reach agreement in relation to the licensing of its new 5G SEP (standard essential patent) patent, Nokia began suing OPPO for patent infringement in various parts of the world, including the UK, the Netherlands, France, and other countries. OPPO believed that Nokia's claimed 5G patent royalty standard (EUR 3 per device) was too high, and it filed a lawsuit with the First Intermediate People's Court of Chongqing Municipality, seeking a determination of the global FRAND (fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory) rate for Nokia's SEP portfolio.  

The Court ultimately determined, for the first time globally in the mobile industry, a cumulative global rate1 for 5G SEP ranging from 4.341% to 5.273%. It also determined a patent royalty for Nokia's 2G-5G patent portfolio based on different regions; for example, the patent royalty for a single 5G multi-mode mobile phone in the first region (countries and regions with a per capita GDP greater than or equal to UDS 20,000) is UDS 1.151 per device, while the patent royalty in the second region (mainland China) and the third region (other countries and regions except for the first and second regions) is USD 0.707 per device.  

This judgment is the first global FRAND rate judgment in the ongoing global patent dispute between OPPO and Nokia since July 2021. It is also the first time that Chinese judicial authorities have determined a global FRAND rate in a SEP litigation. 

Source: 21st Century Business Herald, China Business Network 2023-12-14 

https://m.21jingji.com/article/20231215/herald/fa8b5875b9219fe38311cb6d1e6364e4_zaker.html https://www.stcn.com/article/detail/1064315.html 

重庆市第一中级人民法院就OPPO与诺基亚FRAND许可费率纠纷作出判决 

日期：2023-12-14 

由于诺基亚与OPPO未就诺基亚的新5G专利许可协议达成一致，2021年7月起，诺基亚在英国、荷兰、法国等全球多地起诉OPPO专利侵权，OPPO也向重庆市第一中级人民法院提起诉讼，要求确定诺基亚标准必要专利组合的全球FRAND费率。OPPO认为诺基亚宣称的5G专利收费标准（3欧元/台）过高，重庆市第一中级人民法院最终在全球范围内首次确定了手机行业5G标准全球累计费率为4.341%-5.273%，并对诺基亚2G-5G专利包的许可费根据不同地区进行了许可费裁决，如，针对5G多模手机在全球内第一区（人均GDP大于或等于2万美元的国家及地区）的单台许可费为每台1.151美元，第二区（中国大陆地区）和第三区（除了第一区和第二区以外的其他国家及地区）的单台许可费为每台0.707美元。  

本判决是OPPO与诺基亚自2021年7月开始的全球专利纷争中首个FRAND全球费率判决，也是中国司法机关首次在标准必要专利诉讼中确定FRAND全球费率。 

资料来源：21世纪经济报道、第一财经  2023-12-14 

新闻链接：https://m.21jingji.com/article/20231215/herald/fa8b5875b9219fe38311cb6d1e6364e4_zaker.html https://www.stcn.com/article/detail/1064315.html 

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